


How to Become Immortal

by CalamityInPajamas



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Action & Romance, All For One, Everyone likes MC, I have no idea where this is going, Light Angst, MC likes everyone?, One For All
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22816915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalamityInPajamas/pseuds/CalamityInPajamas
Summary: "MC!" Mammon and Levi were the first two to run to your side. Soon you were trapped between Levi´s embrace and Mammon´s hair strokes while he apologized. "I-I was too far away! I saw Levi before I could find ya! Then I heard you scream, but the wind--!", he continued. The panic was obvious in his voice, and in Levi´s embrace. Something about seeing someone dear fall from the skies seemed to get the worst insecurities out of these demons, and you couldn´t help but understand why.
Relationships: Asmodeus/Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Beelzebub (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) & Reader, Belphegor (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) & Reader, Leviathan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) & Reader, Lucifer & Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Comments: 194
Kudos: 684





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I started writing this because I like shounen and wanted to see the boys using their powers. Each chapter will revolve around the idea I had for each demon. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I have no idea what I am doing. Send help.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "MC!" Mammon and Levi were the first two to run to your side. Soon you were trapped between Levi´s embrace and Mammon´s hair strokes while he apologized. "I-I was too far away! I saw Levi before I could find ya! Then I heard you scream, but the wind--!", he continued. The panic was obvious in his voice, and in Levi´s embrace. Something about seeing someone dear fall from the skies seemed to get the worst insecurities out of these demons, and you couldn´t help but understand why.

It was a normal day in the Devildom, or so you thought, when suddenly the ground beneath you started to shake. Mammon was right beside you, so you held on to him, attempting without success to maintain your balance. Between the students´ screams and the second-born´s grip on you, there was nothing else to do besides wait for it to pass.

"Mammon!", you shouted when the shaking got worse, and the demon only held you tighter, protecting your head between his chest and one of his arms. "It´s okay, MC!", you heard him say, though the strain in his voice told you he didn´t have the slightest idea of what was going on. 

Before any of you could do anything about it, the deafening sound of turbulent wind surrounded both of you. Your nails clung to Mammon´s school uniform, but not even his demonic hold could keep you with him when the ground beneath you disappeared and was replaced by a darkness that sucked and swallowed you both.

Before you even realized it, you were falling. Fast.

The deafening sound of violent wind consumed your ears as you instinctively flailed your arms, trying to grab at the dark sky that soon changed to blue. You screamed at the top of your lungs, the terrifying feeling of imminent death reining inside your head. Where was Mammon? Why were you falling to your doom from this endless sky? 

Help!

HELP!

Your questions weren´t answered, but your plea was when you felt a pair of arms surround your torso, snatching you away from your free fall. Soon you felt the heat of a body against your back, and though you were too stunned to look behind you, your peripheral vision caught onto the sight of feathered black wings trying to regain control of the wind.

_Lucifer._

"Hold on, MC." Lucifer´s deep voice ordered you before he twisted you in his arms and allowed you to face him instead. Now more secure in a mutual embrace, you gathered the courage to look down at the direction of your falling. The ground was getting closer and closer, too fast for your personal liking. 

"L-Lucifer!", you managed to stammer before his gloved hand held your head against his chest, protecting your neck from the sudden drop in speed when he extended his wings and finally managed to get you both upright. A few seconds later, your feet were finally on the ground.

It was too late, though, the adrenaline created from the fear of dying was already running through your veins. Your legs were gelatin, and though Lucifer kept a healthy hold on you, he let you land on all fours while you hyperventilated. "It´s alright. You´re safe now." Lucifer soothed you while you let it all out. Hearing his voice was reassuring, but your heart needed to ride the adrenaline for a while more before your body could catch up to your brain. 

When you finally felt a little better, you sat down on your legs. Your eyes looked for Lucifer´s gaze, but the avatar of pride had his attention on the bodies falling at great speed from different distances. In seconds you could tell they were the rest of the brothers, and you were relieved to see that those with no wings like Leviathan, Satan, and Belphegor were being held by Mammon, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub, respectively. 

Seeing the brothers gave you the strength you needed to get up from your spot on the ground. Even if you still had no idea what was going on and your legs still trembled, seeing them all save and sound was the least you could ask for. 

"MC!" Mammon and Levi were the first two to run to your side. Soon you were trapped between Levi´s embrace and Mammon´s hair strokes while he apologized. "I-I was too far away! I saw Levi before I could find ya! Then I heard you scream, but the wind--!", he continued. The panic was obvious in his voice, and in Levi´s embrace. Something about seeing someone dear fall from the skies seemed to get the worst insecurities out of these demons, and you couldn´t help but understand why.

"It´s okay, Mammon. I´m okay." You shushed him and stroke his cheek, managing to calm his rambling, even if at the cost of his blushing cheeks. 

"D-Don´t get me wrong! It´s not like I was super worried or a-anything." Mammon stammered, but you only smiled at him and stroked Levi´s hair instead. The third-born broke the embrace to inspect for any injuries in you, and looked satisfied after finding nothing. "We were so worried." He sighed.

Slowly but surely, the rest of the brothers reached you, and when it was clear the eight of you were okay, Lucifer grabbed everyone´s attention.

"It seems the spell caught all of you as well.", he started. Everyone´s confused stares let you know they were just as clueless as you. Lucifer shook his head and burrowed his brows before continuing. "I was about to read a book on immortality in... other species. When I read the title out loud, the book seemed to activate. Before I could do anything about it, tremendous energy emanated from its pages. The energy turned into some sort of dark hole that sucked me in."

Damn those magical books. 

"Was that what caused the earthquake?", a thoughtful Satan asked, his hand holding his chin. Lucifer looked his way before answering. "Seems like it. The energy released was so great that it´s only natural the ground was shook. What I don´t understand is why all of you are here."

"Mammon and I were walking to our third period when the ground started shaking. Before we knew it, there was a hole sucking us in.", you explain, and Mammon nods in agreement. 

"I was in my room playing _That Time an Evil Lord Stepped Into the Endless Maze, Just to Find His Lover Dead and Her Ghost Hovering Above the Heroine that Killed Her, Who the Evil Lord Secretly Loves But Can´t Be With... Right?_ , when the earthquake happened. Then me and my bathtub were falling!", Levi explained next, clearly distraught. "Now I won´t get to find if the Evil Lord and the Heroine actually get together."

"I was at the cafeteria when me and my lunch got swallowed whole. Belphie was sleeping beside me.", Beel grabbed his stomach, but didn´t mention how hungry he clearly was. It seemed he understood the weird situation they were in.

Satan nodded and added, "I was returning some books to the library. All those precious books got sucked with me when that hole opened beneath my feet."

"And I was at the bathroom doing... business.", Asmo smiled, for a moment forgetting they were on a unknown place, possibly in another dimension. 

"That still doesn´t explains why you were brought into this mess." Lucifer crossed his arms in frustration. "If I was the one hit with the spell, why did it extend to you all?"

"Well, if the book is about immortality, maybe because we are already immortal?", Satan offered, wining the thoughtful nods of his brothers. But you weren´t immortal and you were also sucked in. Even in all the chaos, you distinctively remember the hole appearing from beneath your shoes, the same way it appeared beneath Mammon´s. You explain this to your friends, which only gets them thinking even more. "The only thing that comes to mind is the pact you have with us. It´s the only thing tying you to us right now.", Satan offered again. "That and, well, the fact that you´re our sister´s descendant."

While they discussed the matter, you took a moment to inspect your surroundings. It looked like you were dropped at a deserted place. Grassland extended far and wide, only mountains were visible at the horizon, blurred by the fog that surrounded you. You embraced yourself when you realized you were starting to feel cold. What was this place?

You decide to walk a little farther away, just to stumble and fall on your knees. Your little yelp catches the demons´ attentions, and they are surrounding you in a second. "I´m okay.", you assure them, but that doesn´t stops Beel from helping you stand up and Belphie from checking your knees.

"What´s that?", You ask and point to the group, to the flatted stone you tripped with. It seems something is written on it, and the eight of you take a closer look. "That´s the title of the book I was about to read.", Lucifer points out after inspecting the words.

"The echo of the sound, the shadow of the light, there´s only one way for a human to live and never die.", you read the half faded message on the stone, and the moment the last word exists your lips, you feel power emanating from it. A pulse of energy escapes the stone, pushing you all away. Another one makes you scream in pain, and Belphegor, the one closest to you, hugs you protectively to cover you from the third hit. You hold on to him, even if his weight seems to be crushing you. Suddenly, you feel that same weightless feeling you experienced before you and Mammon were thrown into infinite skies. There was another hole beneath the two of you.

"Protect yourselves at all cost!", Lucifer shouts, sounding concerned despite himself. 

"This makes no sense! Not even games are this random!", Levi yells, and it´s the last thing you hear before Belphie and you are swallowed into an endless darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know in the comments if you´re looking forward for the next chapter. :)
> 
> Next Chapter: The Guardian of Dreams, Sloth vs Diligence


	2. The Guardian of Dreams, Sloth vs Diligence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When you made a pact with me, you said you wanted to protect me. You wanted to be the first one I come for help."
> 
> Your words seemed to strike something inside Belphegor, and he turned a little towards you. "... You want me to save you?"
> 
> "Yes.", you said, desperation clear in your voice.
> 
> "You´re right. I said I wanted to protect you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The demon powers are a source of my imagination and a little bit of research into the sin each demon represents. This has nothing to do with the main story. 
> 
> Diligence: Doing something diligently means doing it thoroughly and well. It's the opposite of doing it lazily or shoddily.

You were falling. Again. 

Despite your fear, you were starting to get a little pissed. This was the second time going through a portal, or whatever that was, and once again you lost the demon holding you. You grabbed at the air and were about to scream when your body began to hit several forms that couldn´t hold your weight. The sound of snapping branches filled your ears, and you held your scream as the trees broke your fall. Unfortunately, you still ended on the ground, a grunt exiting your mouth at the moment of impact. Then there was silence.

You weren´t sure if you passed out for long or not, but your brain remembered the situation you were in when a sharp pain in your right inner forearm made you snap out of your trance. The burning sensation stole your concentration and, in your desperation, you rolled up your uniform´s sleeve to take a better look. Your surprise was obvious when you laid eyes on seven minimalist black circles going from your elbow to your wrist. You blinked away the tears as the circles finished materializing on your skin.

Sitting up, and now more confused than ever, your eyes explored your surroundings. It seemed like you were in some kind of forest. The trees were thick, tall, and close together. They blocked whatever little light the moon above offered, explaining the cold and the fog staying low on the ground. At the distance to your north you noticed a faded light, and wondered if the forest was thinner in that direction.

"Belphie?", you called out, nervous of raising your voice too much. You felt both alone and not, and the idea of giving out your position so easily held you from moving too quickly.

After a minute or two of consideration, you decided to move in the direction of the fading light. The eerie forest seemed to stretch on forever, but you persevered. Eventually the trees did thin, and you found yourself stepping into a bald spot among the foliage. What you saw next made you gulp.

You could see ruins a few meters from you. The cracked yellow stones were almost completely disguised by vines, and the structure in general looked like it could collapse any second now. But that wasn´t what got your heart pumping hard inside your chest. Between your spot and the ruins, which happened to be a few hundred meters away, an army of monsters laid on the grass. The creatures looked like... well, you weren´t sure, but they were a mixture of animals you could identify from the human realm, and other things you´d never seen before. Some were gigantic, while others were about your same size. It was weird, though, since they seemed to be.. dead?

No, they weren´t dead. They were still breathing.

They were sleeping.

Taking your eyes away from the chimeras, you inspected the ruins again. You could see some stairs in the front, and something else that looked like a platform just before the main entrance of the structure. There, the moon shined brighter than any other place, and the image of a sleeping boy laying on the platform caught your attention. 

_Belphie._

The new rush of adrenaline made your hands feel clammy, and you seriously pondered if you should risk walking among these beasts in order to get a chance to meet with the avatar of sloth. Just how could he be sleeping with so many enemies around?

Despite your sense of self preservation and common sense, you decided you´d be safer with Belphegor anyway if these monsters were to wake up. You were careful, painfully careful with your steps, watching out for any tails or horns that could make you trip and endanger you further. It took around twenty minutes to finally reach those stairs. 

Sighing with relief, you climbed up the steps and picked up your pace until you met with the sleeping demon.

"Belphie.", you quickly called out his name and shook him a little, keeping your voice down. "Belphegor, wake up.", you insisted, but the seventh born was a deep sleeper. Feeling somewhat desperate, you punched him on the arm and called him again.

This time you got a reaction out of him.

"Ow...", Belphegor frowned and fluttered his eyes open, his hand holding the spot you just hit. "Why did you do that?"

Still half asleep, the demon sat up on the stone. 

"Why are you sleeping while you´re surrounded by monsters?", you asked as a response. Your question seemed to make him remember were you two were, his expression looking more alert.

"Oh no."

"What?"

Belphie simply looked over your shoulder, and you followed his gaze to where the monsters were. As if waiting on that cue, all the creatures started growling and twitching in place, some of them even starting to stand up. Your sensation of fear was only aggravated by what Belphegor said next.

"I was sleeping because when I will it, I can drag whoever is close to me into deep slumber. But you woke me up, so..."

_Oh no._

"We need to get out of here!", you urge him out of the platform, and then both of you bolt to the entrance of the ruins.

It doesn´t take too long for the monsters to follow behind, their groans and heavy feet letting you know they were close, too close. Your mind is raising as your body moves, running through hallways and looking for a place to hide. It is the first time you´ve witnessed the power of one of the brothers, but you can´t stop too long to think about it. You could always talk about it later.

If you managed to stay alive long enough.

"What do we do, Belphie? Why are they following us?", you ask as the both of you turn right on another corner. You hear a loud screech and look back. A long-legged creature was leaping from wall to wall, tailgating you. 

"We need to hide. Wait for the others to find us.", the avatar of sloth answered, his voice surprisingly calm for the situation you were both in. 

Before you could disagree, the creature behind you leaped one more time. You felt its weight on you, and in the second it took you to scream, you were on the floor. The creature´s long slick fingers quickly wrapped around the back of your neck and you gasped, afraid it was your end. But then you saw it.

A spark in those purple eyes.

Shadow energy emanating from his demon form. 

And the speed, the blinding speed with which Belphegor crossed the space between himself and the monster for a tackle. His power exploded from his body and blasted the creature away from you. It sent it flying back, like a bull whose body didn´t need to hit its target to break bones. 

Before you could register what just happened, Belphegor had you in his arms and lifted from the floor. He urged you to keep running, and you obeyed. More monsters were already biting at your feet, after all.

After a series of turns and twits, you managed to confuse and lose them. Out of breath and still in pain from the previous fall, you leaned by the wall. Through the window-like gaps on the stone walls, you could see you had somehow reached the highest parts of the ruins. Suddenly the idea of running inside the building felt stupid. Now you were trapped with nowhere to run to. 

Turning back towards Belphegor, you noticed him looking at some words carved on the rocks. Curiously, you joined him and squinted your eyes to focus on the faded words. It was that riddle that kept transporting you from place to place. Maybe this time it would do the same.

"The echo of the sound, the shadow of the light, there´s only one way for a human to live and never die.", you repeat the words like a chant. This time, though, nothing happens.

...

"The echo is like what´s left of the original sound, isn´t?" Belphegor offers, adding to the thoughts already forming inside your mind. You toss the idea in your head, trying to make sense of it all. After a full minute of consideration, something clicks. 

"It´s a memory.", you say. "For a human to remain "alive" after dying, you must remain a memory in someone´s mind."

"A memory?", The seventh born sounds disappointed. "That´s not the kind of immortality we were aiming for."

"What?", you reply back. "What do you mean ´we´?"

Before you can get an answer to your question, the roar of a beast fills the room. You both snap to the direction of the sound, witnessing the moment a monster tall enough to have to stoop to fit inside crowded your space. Smaller monsters blocked the rest of the entrance, their high-pitched sounds disturbing your ears. Belphegor quickly hid you between himself and the wall, but that wasn´t enough to prevent you from noticing the other creatures crowding the windows. They were the thing of nightmares, and you couldn´t help yourself from trembling. 

"Listen to me, MC.", Belphie quickly said as the creatures stalked your space little by little. "I´ll will them to sleep with me again. That way we´ll give more time for the others to come help."

You opened your mouth to say something, but he continued. "Don´t worry, I´ll take you to sleep with me too. If we sleep now, everything will remain the same. We can wait for someone to help us."

The menacing creatures growled and salivated at the sight of you. The desperation was getting to you.

"No, Belphie. If we wake up before that, then these monsters will be here waiting for us. We have to act now."

The avatar of sloth shook his head no. "I just don´t like doing these kind of things. It´s too much work."

The monsters got ready to pounce.

"I understand that, but sometimes things won´t solve themselves. We need to do something about it! I know you can do it!"

"..."

"When you made a pact with me, you said you wanted to protect me. You wanted to be the first one I come for help."

Your words seemed to strike something inside Belphegor, and he turned a little towards you. "... You want me to save you?"

"Yes.", you said, desperation clear in your voice.

"You´re right. I said I wanted to protect you."

The monsters saw the perfect moment to strike, and all of them bolted towards the two of you.

"Then protect me, Belphegor."

There it was again, that spark in his eyes. You weren´t sure if it was because of your order, or because of his new-found purpose in your words, but the shadow energy you saw before was nothing compared to the explosion of waves that emanated from him now. The seventh born extended both his arms towards his enemies, making them stop in their tracks. The creatures seemed stunned for a moment, but then all of them fell to the ground in unison. 

Then there was silence.

Belphegor kept his position, so you assumed he wasn´t done. His shadows took a more willing form, the waves of smoke surrounding the creatures one by one. What you weren´t expecting was for all those beasts to start squirming and crying in what you could only imagine was pain and suffering. 

"What are you doing to them?", you asked shyly, impressed by the extent of Belphegor´s power. He was able to reduce a towering beast into a heap of cries. "Are they having nightmares?"

"Not only that.", the avatar of sloth answered, "I am feeding them the consequences of their imagined idleness. Too much daydreaming results in life passing you by, so I´m showing them how their lives would be if they left every opportunity pass them by."

The screams only increased after that. You covered your ears the best you could and sat on the floor, trying to ignore the obvious suffering going through in that room. This served as a reminder that you lived surrounded by destructively powerful beings. Even if they seemed like your average hectic family at first glance, the seven princes of hell where chaotic and forces to be reckon with. 

Belphegor made sure to accomplish his task thoroughly. When everything was finally over and the monsters were nothing but corpses, you opened your eyes.

"I´m sorry if that was too loud. I usually don´t use my power like that.", Belphie apologized as he crouched beside you. 

Instinctively, you hugged him, relieved you were both alright. "Thank you."

The seventh born tensed at first, but then eased into your hug, surrounding you with his arms and meeting you with a warm embrace. You enjoyed his warmth and how safe you felt in his arms. 

"You were right, MC.", he said after a few seconds on silence. "I can´t just stay idle forever and wait for others to do my work for me. If I don´t do anything about it, life is just going to keep passing me by too."

Belphegor released you from his embrace and you followed his lead, separating enough to look him in the eyes. His expression was soft, much more relaxed now that you were both safe. He smiled at you, and you couldn´t help but to smile back.

"I want to take advantage of every opportunity I have with you, and I will do my best to make you happy too."

His words made your heart skip a beat and heat flush into your face. But before you could say anything, you were both distracted by light coming out of your right arm. You both turned to the source, and quickly noticed how the black circle closest to your elbow was filled and replaced by the symbol of sloth surrounded by a purple background. The new tattoo settled itself in your skin, and then the light disappeared. 

Your confusion was evident, but then another portal appeared a few steps from you. Getting up from the floor, you both stared at it for a moment. Finally, Belphegor spoke.

"You need to keep going."

"Me? What about you?"

Belphegor shook his head no. "I can´t. You need to go alone."

"To where? I still don´t know what´s going on.", you explained concerned. 

Belphegor smiled. "I´m not sure myself either, but I know that door is not for me. Keep going, we will meet again later. I just need to take a nap first."

You stared at Belphie´s purple gaze, and something told you he was being honest. Nodding, you turned towards the portal, but the demon stopped you for a moment. 

"Wait.", he said. When you turned to face him, you saw the moment he held your face with his warm hands and planted a quick kiss on your lips.

Your reaction was surprise. And embarrassment. And complete confusion. 

With rose cheeks of his own, Belphegor said. "So that you remember me while you´re out there. Now go." He ordered, and somehow you knew his urge was to save both of you from the embarrassment filling you. 

After a shy smile, you stepped into the portal and were finished with your first task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, this turned out to be longer than I calculated.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked it! Leave a comment if you did!
> 
> Next chapter:
> 
> The Lord of the Flyers: Gluttony vs Temperance


	3. The Lord of the Flyers, Gluttony vs Temperance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Beel!", you screamed for him, your ears catching on the closing in buzzing and the heavy steps of the spider monsters. If Beelzebub didn´t come for you now, you were done for.
> 
> To your small relief, the Avatar of Gluttony jerked towards the sound of your voice. His features shifted the moment he laid eyes on you. Even in your distress, you were able to see both the desperation and relief in his purple and pink gaze. 
> 
> You anxiously extended your arms at him, and Beelzebub didn´t waste a second to fly towards you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Temperance: moderation in action, thought, or feeling; restraint. 
> 
> Beelzebub in Hebrew means "Lord of the Flies" or "Lord of the Flyers". This explains his insect-like wings, and was my inspiration for his powers.

At least this time, you managed to fall on your feet when the portal pushed you into another... dimension? 

You had no clear reason of why any of this was happening, but you had little time to think about it. Your new setting was a wooden house; the house´s living room to be exact. There was no one inside, but the utilities and style with which it was decorated let you assume it was a human´s humble home. Were you back into the human realm?... The thought sent adrenaline through your bloodstream again. What if this magic book was random? What if you were too far away from your friends for them to find you now? 

The sound of terrified screams caught your attention, and you sprinted towards the entrance of the house, opening the door as fast as you could. The exterior looked like a village in the middle of the desert. It was midday, and the sun shone bright and hot in the sky. You could even feel your throat drying out as you breathed in the dusty air. 

Stepping completely out of the house and into the dirt, you ran towards the source of the screaming, passing by houses and dirtied up buildings. You ran and ran, eventually turning left into an intersection. Finally, you found the people screaming and running away from three spider-like monsters that were easily ten feet tall.

One of the creatures caught up to a human, impaling it through its abdomen with one of its sword-like legs. You witnessed in horror how the creature opened its mouth and ate the still alive man in three bites. The rest of the people screamed and tried to escape, but the other monsters also trapped some of them. While the rest ran towards your direction, your legs remained taut. You weren´t used to this type of violence, and the crudeness of everything had your brain in overdrive. Paralyzed, you watched the spiders finish their lunch and search for more, moving towards you as well. The understanding that you needed to flee quickly passed through your mind, but it wasn´t until a woman bumped your shoulder while running that you managed to turn around attempt a run for it. 

You didn´t go anywhere, though. The moment you turned around, you saw a dark brown shadow set upon the humans far ahead of you. They screeched in agony when the shadow overwhelmed them, flailing their arms and trying to get it away from them.

That´s when you realized that shadow wasn´t really a shadow. 

Those were _insects_. Thousands and thousands of them.

The swarm engulfed the people, and you froze in place again when you saw blood coming out of their bodies. Those things were eating them alive, and you could only watch while they continued their flight towards you. 

"Belphie!"

Suddenly, you heard a familiar voice call out to the Avatar of Sloth.

"Belphie! MC! Where are you?!!", it screamed louder. Turning towards the source of the voice, you saw Beelzebub flying at your direction while he searched the place. He seemed distraught, desperate and shaky while he looked at every intersection for his brother and you. 

"Beel!", you screamed for him, your ears catching on the closing in buzzing and the heavy steps of the spider monsters. If Beelzebub didn´t come for you now, you were done for.

To your small relief, the Avatar of Gluttony jerked towards the sound of your voice. His features shifted the moment he laid eyes on you. Even in your distress, you were able to see both the desperation and relief in his purple and pink gaze. 

You anxiously extended your arms at him, and Beelzebub didn´t waste a second to fly towards you. Still, both the swarm and the spiders were too awfully close for comfort when he snatched you in his arms and got you out of danger. As you surrounded Beel´s neck in a strong grip, you witnessed the moment the swarm engulfed the spider monsters without hesitation, eating them away the same way they´d eaten the humans. Confusion struck you in that moment. Weren´t these monsters on the same team?

Beelzebub flew you both onto a near building and landed on its rooftop. It was then when his strong grip on you subsided. His hands were quickly on your face and body, anxiously checking for any injuries.

"MC, are you alright?! I can´t believe I found you.", the sixth-born said, and you felt wrong for worrying him so much; he´d always been so sweet and gentle to you. It was so endearing that you couldn´t help but lean against his hand when he placed it back on your cheek. "I´m fine now, Beel. Thanks to you.", you said, closing up the distance between your bodies with your embrace. Beelzebub didn´t hesitate to hug you back.

When you finally pulled back, Beelzebub placed his broad hands on your shoulders. You could see a soft shade of pink on his cheeks, but you weren´t going to address that now. "MC, have you seen Belphie? I can´t find him anywhere." His face contorted into worry for his brother. "In situations like this, he depends on me to protect him."

Beel´s anguish was obvious; and though you were paying attention to his words, your ears caught on more screams coming from the streets below. Your stress increased, the images of those people dying setting themselves back into your head. Despite that, the sixth-born continued. "But then you two fell onto a different hole than me and I couldn´t find you or any of the others. I didn´t know what to do!" Screeching from what you assume were those hideous spiders were heard next, and the suspicion that this had something to do with Beel was too strong to ignore.

"Belphie is fine, Beel.", you replied, pushing through the suffering going on below you. "I was just with him, look." 

Lifting your arm, you show Beelzebub the symbol of Sloth tattooed on your skin. "We were attacked by monsters a while ago, but he fought through them, saving us both. He´s safe now, but he couldn´t come through the portal with me, so he stayed behind to find a way around it."

"He used his powers?" Your explanation seems to calm Beel down. He holds your forearm and strokes the symbol with his thumb. The symbol lightly pulses at his touch, and somehow that´s enough for him. "I knew you were in danger when I felt my stomach twist inside me. But now that I know you are alright, I feel so much better." To both your surprise and relief, the far away screams started to die down.

"Beel, what´s going on? What were those things? Why are humans here and where are we?"

Your firing questions made Beel´s soft face contort into worry and distress once again. "Those spider things were already here when I arrived. I was just trying to help."

You hesitate. "Is the swarm... yours?"

Beelzebub nods with a somber look in his eyes.

"Those are hell locusts. I can summon them as part of my powers. They eat anything I command them to, but they are hard to control if I don´t keep my whole concentration on them.", Beel explained while fiddling with his fingers. "They become erratic like that when I am stressed or injured... So when they also started attacking the humans, I got more worried that they might get to you too... I only fuelled them further."

((Note: Locusts are a collection of certain species of short-horned grasshoppers that have a swarming phase. Locusts have formed plagues since prehistory. The ancient Egyptians carved them on their tombs and the insects are mentioned in the Iliad, the Bible and the Quran. Swarms have devastated crops and been a contributory cause of famines and human migrations.--Wikipedia))

"I understand, Beel. Don´t worry about it.", you said while staring at the sixth-born´s remorseful expression. "If you will them to just eat the spiders now, it will be over soon."

Beel shakes his head no, and then points behind you. "It´s not that easy. Those spiders come from her."

When you turn around, your legs almost give up on you. You aren´t really afraid of spiders, but seeing a gigantic one standing on the open field gives you a much solid reason to. The monster was surrounded by its... babies? It´s what you assume the moment the mother spider shoots an egg sac from its belly. The sac protecting its children breaks as soon as it hits the floor, and dozens of those ten-feet spiders emerge from it. 

"I need to kill her if I want to help these people.", Beel tells you, but then you turn around and see he is hesitating. 

"What´s wrong?", you frown concerned.

"I...", Beelzebub pauses. "... I don´t want to leave you behind. If I don´t keep you close, I can´t guarantee your safety... And if something were to happen to you, I...", Beel shakes his head, and you see the swarm turning erratic in the sky again. You understand right away. Even if he feels better about Lilith´s death, it´s clear Beel still fears losing another of his loved ones. That´s why he´d been so desperate to find both you and Belphegor. His need to protect you makes your heart ache, and you know that if he doesn´t takes you with him, he´s never going to be able to concentrate enough to finish off that monster.

Ironic as it seemed, it was clear that in order to be safe you needed to stay close to danger.

"Then take me with you.", you said, making Beel look at you with surprise. "As long as I´m with you, I know I´ll be safe."

The Avatar of Gluttony blinked twice, watching you smile and nod at him. It seems to work, because after a second he nods back at you with a smile of his own. "Alright, you´re coming with me then." Beelzebub said and scooped you up in his arms, his insect-like wings vibrating behind him. You held on tight, wrapping your arms around his strong neck.

The moment you take the skies, Beel keeping a healthy grip on you despite his speed, you notice how the locusts abandon the lower grounds and take the skies as well, following their master. Beel´s expression was different now, more concentrated and determined. It was obvious having you in his arms was enough to let him regain power over the insects. They flew at each side and behind the demon and you, and there were thousands, no, millions of them. As incredible as Belphegor´s powers were, you couldn´t help but be impressed at Beelzebub´s as well. He looked like the king of the skies, with an air force of his own to protect and fight for him. 

The mother spider was shooting another egg sac when it noticed your nearing presence. It sent a ball of web at you as a response, but both Beel and the insects expertly dodged the attack, returning to formation a second later. A portion of the swarm quickly divided and attacked the egg sac, trapping and eating the spiders before they could exit their cocoon. The rest of the swarm followed Beel and you as he flew towards the spider, swiftly dodging another attack before flying in between the spider´s legs. The locusts followed close behind, many of them attaching to the spider´s body and feeding on it. The mother instantly looked distressed, stumbling back and yelling in agony. 

"It´s working, Beel!", you shouted as the sixth-born dodged a leg and pushed higher into the sky. But before he could answer, the spider opened its mouth and sent a high-pitched shriek that made both you and Beel jerk in pain. The sound waves hit you hard over and over again, and you trembled in Beelzebub arms while losing your hold on him to cover your ears. 

Before you could think letting go was a bad idea, the Avatar of Gluttony dropped you. 

You instantly screamed, watching how Beel and about half of the swarm began falling with you. The sound had stunned them all mid-flight and there´s was little you could do other than yell at Beel to snap out of it.

After too many seconds falling, the Avatar of Gluttony seemed to respond.

Beelzebub twisted his body and closed his wings, decreasing his body´s resistance to the wind and falling quicker. You reached for him and he held you in his arms as soon as he caught up to you. His wings then opened back up, and you felt the inertia the moment he set you upright and back up in the skies.

"I´m sorry...", Beel apologized as soon as you were flying steady, but you simply held on to him again, watching as the swarm lost formation. Dropping you wasn´t his fault, but his regret was equality evident regardless. 

"It´s okay, Beel. Let´s try again.", you said and touched his cheek, trying to calm him down even when your own heart was racing. 

"She will just send those sound waves again.", Beel shakes his head and then dodges another attack from the spider. "The locusts won´t be able to eat her if she keeps killing them like that."

You click your tongue at that, turning to look at the spider as you fly around it one more time. The spider keeps moving and trying to trap you with its web attacks, and you study the creature while the wheels turn inside your head. If overwhelming it wasn´t going to work, then the attack needed to be more concentrated and less... gluttonous. 

"I have an idea." Beelzebub turns a curious gaze at you. "Instead of overwhelming it, maybe the swarm can attack closer together. That way the force would be greater instead of spread out."

The Avatar of Gluttony frowns, not very convinced. "That´s hard to do. The locusts like to eat. Restraining them like that can make them angry."

"You are their master. They respond to you."

"But I am the Avatar of Gluttony. This is against my nature, and theirs as well."

"I know, Beel.", you insist, "But if you can do this, I´m sure we can kill this thing."

Beelzebub takes a moment to think about it, tossing the idea inside his head. He doesn´t looks too convinced yet, but eventually he nods. "Let´s try it then."

You keep your eyes on the insects as Beelzebub concentrates. After a few seconds, the swarm shakes upset, making a humming sound. "They don´t want to." Beel says frowning.

"Try harder, Beel.", you push. Beelzebub obliges. 

The swarm hums again, but after what looked like a back and forth between them and Beel, the locusts settled back into their respective positions.

With that, Beelzebub holds you tighter and plummets in the direction of the spider´s belly. The insects follow close behind, shifting into an arrow-like shape. The spider attacks with its web once again, but Beelzebub dodges the attack and continues going straight for the enemy. Some of the swarm flies away from the spider, catching its attention but not attempting to bite at it. You can see keeping them from attacking the spider is costing the Avatar of Gluttony, a bead of sweat on his temple. Still, he pulls through. 

The monster arches its abdomen to attack the locusts serving as a distraction, exposing it. That´s the moment Beel gives out the order to the rest of his minions. The swarm that accompany you flies up ahead, colliding with the abdomen of the spider and devouring it. They keep concentrated in one single spot instead of scattering to cover more area, and eventually it takes effect. The collective effort allows the swarm to penetrate the spiders skin. The creature shrieks in pain as the locusts push themselves inside it, devouring it from the inside out. It isn´t too long before the spider loses its balance and falls on the dust. The rest of the swarm quickly approaches the corpse as soon as their master releases his hold on them.

Beelzebub drops down to the ground a minute later, being careful when he puts you down. 

"You did it, Beel! That was so cool!", you cheer. Beelzebub beams, his whole torso shaking while he laughs. "I´ll give this victory to you.", he replies instead.

Your cheeks blush at the sight of him. His ginger hair was disheveled after all that flying, and his smile was so relaxed it was impossible not to smile back at him. As you gazed at him, a warm sensation settled into your right arm. Turning to look, you noticed the circle on top of Belphegor´s materializing into the symbol of gluttony with a red background.

"So that´s how you get those?", Beel asks curious as he looks at your arm.

"Yeah, but I still don´t know what it means."

Beel looks surprised. "You mean you don´t know?", your frown gives him enough of a response. "Lucifer was looking for information about how to make you immortal. That´s why we´re trapped here."

"What?!"

Beelzebub frowns concerned. "You´ve mentioned many times how you wish you could become immortal. Lucifer and Satan have been researching for ways to make that happen."

Your eyes opened wide in surprise. So that´s what this all was about? It was some kind of test to see if you could become immortal? 

You can remember many conversations in which you had mentioned it, though. One time with Levi, while you two were playing games in his room, you´d wished you were immortal so that you could play videogames with him until the end of times. You told Satan once that if you were immortal, you´d read all the books inside his room, and how cool that would be. With Belphegor too; when he said he was so tired he could sleep a millennia, you said you´d join him if you had the time for that. You´d even fantasized with Beelzebub about learning countless recipes, learning a million new ways to cook delicious foods if you could...

And you´d meant every single one of those things. You´ve meant it with your heart and soul. These seven brothers had stepped into your heart with the same intensity they had stepped into your life. You knew that you would never be the same if you went back to the human world to live your life, not after all that you´d been through with them. But seeing your wish slowly materializing was a whole different situation. Could you really handle it? Could a mortal mind like yours comprehend immortality?

"MC... Are you alright?", Beel asked while looking really concerned. You tried to say something, but your mind was thinking about so many things at once it was hard to concentrate in only one.

After a minute of silence, you shook your head. "I just... I didn´t even know this was possible to begin with. How am I even achieving these tests?"

"I don´t know. Lucifer didn´t have time to explain the process to us. But it seems to me you need to meet with every one of us before something else happens."

Beelzebub´s words make you stare back at your arm. Five more brothers awaited then, along with five more challenges. 

Suddenly, Beel´s stomach growled furiously, snapping both of you from your thoughts. "Sorry...", the sixth-born said. "Now that we´re safe from danger, I feel hungry again."

"That´s alright, Beel. Here.", you smile and take a small package of Hellshey´s kisses from your uniform´s inside pocket. "You can eat these."

Beelzebub beamed once again, taking the bag from your hand and hugging you instead. "Thank you, MC. You are really sweet."

You laugh at his comment, hugging him back. "Not as sweet as you."

You feel Beelzebub tense a little at that, which is weird because he is the group´s hugger. Before you can ask what was wrong, the demon pulls back just enough to look at your face. "You really mean that?", he asks as he gets rosy cheeks. Seeing him like that makes you blush again. Though you feel embarrassed as self-conscious, you nod. 

Beelzebub´s eyes sparkle with delight, and he leans in closer, making your breath hitch the moment his lips touch yours.

You´re feeling dizzy and even more embarrassed when he pulls away, even if the kiss was just a second long. "Mm..."

"What?", you ask, still nervous. But Beel just blushes a little more and says, "I think I like your kiss more than a chocolate kiss."

You feel like your brain is about to short circuit, but the moment between you is cut short when a portal appears. You both look at it and finally release each other. You instantly understand it´s your time to resume your way. 

"Go on. I´ll finish up helping these humans before I go look for Belphie.", Beelzebub says as he smiles at you.

"Alright... I´ll see you later then?", you ask, still feeling a little awkward because of the kiss. But Beel nods, reassuring you that everything is alright. "I don´t know how this book works, but I am sure we´ll see each other soon. Take care, MC."

With one last look at those gentle eyes, you sigh and step into the portal that will take you to your next task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said Belphie´s chapter was long, but this one is even longer. I am not good at keeping things short...
> 
> Also, I had to push through this chapter because my head kept giving me ideas for Levi´s instead! I almost gave up on the order and wrote his chapter, but I managed. 
> 
> Anyway! I hope you like this one as well! Let me know if you do! :)
> 
> Next chapter:
> 
> The Prince of Desire, Lust vs Chastity


	4. The Prince of Desire, Lust vs Chastity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noticing your stare, Asmo furrows his brows and stares back. "What?"
> 
> "N-Nothing...", you shake your head, trying to dismiss the moment. But your awkwardness is too obvious, and eventually he catches on.
> 
> The Avatar of Lust chuckles. "Sorry for not asking for permission to remove your clothes, MC. It was a matter of emergency."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The words "chaste" and "chastity" stem from the Latin adjective castus ("pure"). Let it be of intention or action, because the purpose, actions and intentions behind it are benevolent and ordered.

This time, the portal showed you some mercy.

You fell on your back, onto the forgiving embrace of a soft bed, full of pillows and silky sheets. A sigh escapes your lips at the sense of safety. You always felt a little panicked every time you were thrown from one place to another. It was natural, since you were human and not all at accustomed to the ways of magic. At least not enough to take teleportation for granted. 

But this feeling of tranquility was welcomed. You close your eyes for a moment. The room had a sweet smell, almost like a mixture of roses with a touch of lavender. For a moment you forget you´re supposed to be solving some kind of mission to achieve your immortality and instead breathe in. It wouldn´t kill you to rest after cheating death twice, would it?

"Mhm. I knew you and I would end up like this eventually.", a very familiar voice says, making you come back to Earth and jerk in place. 

You´d completely missed Asmodeus´ presence beside you, and he seems amused by this fact. The caramel-pinkish haired demon was propelled on his right elbow, his chin resting on his hand while he smiled at you. "Relax, MC, it´s only me. I was waiting for you, actually."

You take a second to gather yourself. "Asmo? Where are we?"

"Where we are _exactly_ , I´m not sure. But this is a bedroom."

You look around, confirming Asmodeus´ words. The place seems simple enough, and the realization that you´ve been smelling Asmo´s cologne strikes you. Now that you know it´s him, the sent seems so familiar. Sitting up, you continue to inspect the place. The windows were locked, and there was only one way out: a wooden door. After investigating everything with your eyes, you turn back to Asmodeus.

"You´ve been waiting here all this time?"

"Yes and no.", the Avatar of Lust answers. "I tried escaping, but on the other side of that door there are some _hideous_ things guarding the place. I decided to wait for someone to rescue me instead!"

You seem surprised at this. You remember well how Asmodeus single-handedly managed to stop Henry 1.0 from eating you and his brothers. Could it be that the monsters here couldn´t be charmed?

"Did you try to charm those monsters?", you ask. Asmo grimaces. "I tried, but I couldn´t do it!"

You frown concerned. If Asmodeus couldn´t handle the monsters, how were you going to get out of there?

"Wow. I can´t believe they resisted your charm."

"Resisted?", Asmo looks offended. "I didn´t _want_ to look at their ugly faces! You know how much I hate looking at unsightly things, MC!"

Okay, nevermind. 

"It´s better if we wait for Lucifer, or someone else to come to our aid.", Asmo sighs, laying back on the bed. You shake your head.

"No one is coming for us, Asmo. We need to get out of here on our own."

"Well, you came.", the Avatar of Lust argues as he waves at the general spot in the air you came from, a wicked smile appearing on his lips. "Thought not in the way I´d like you to come, if I´m being honest."

You blush at the innuendo. Even if you are used to Asmodeus flirting, sometimes he catches you off-guard. Still, you press.

"That´s because I´m the only one capable. But I´m human, remember? We need to do this together."

Asmodeus looks at you confused, so you explain how you´ve already met with Belphegor and Beelzebub. You show the twins´ symbols on your skin and add they appear when you´ve completed some kind of task, though you´re still not sure what that is. More importantly, you explain why you´re all trapped here in the first place.

"Hmm... So for you to gain your supposed immortality, you need to keep completing these tasks." Asmo reflexes, and you nod.

"We can find what we´re supposed to do along the way, but staying here will likely keep us all trapped in this weird book."

The Avatar of Lust doesn´t looks too pleased. You anxiously await while he considers his options. Eventually, he sighs defeated. "Ugh! Fine! But only because there´s no other way out of here."

Relief meets your expression, and you thank Asmo.

"You´ll thank me later, darling.~", he replies, and you simply smile and shake your head while both of you prepare to exit the room. 

You´re the one to open the door, and the first one to peek out the corridor. Asmodeus is dramatically trying to calm himself down. It´s like if ugliness around him could actually inflict damage, but you try to understand. He´s the Avatar of Lust after all, and a total narcissist. 

There aren´t any monsters, so both of you start investigating the place. You quickly find stairs going in a spiral and assume you´re in some kind of basement. There´s no time to exchange your thoughts with the fifth-born, though, for monsters are guarding the stairs. Asmo is quick to shudder beside you, and you hate to admit you get him. These creatures were hideous. The same as with some of Belphegor´s monsters, it was difficult to determine which kind of animals where mixed into these creatures. Definitively demonic, but somehow still similar to bipedal reptiles. Their eyes were too big for their sockets, their teeth didn´t fit in their mouths and their thick drool ran down their chins and necks. 

"I can´t believe I´m doing this.", Asmodeus says, more to himself than to you. "I hope you know I love you, MC. It´s the _only_ reason I´m putting myself through this!"

You give Asmo an apologetic look as he steps forward, getting in the line of sight of the creatures. The three monsters quickly notice his presence, and the Avatar of Lust sighs.

"Alright, you hideous creatures. Understand you´re lucky I´m laying eyes on you!", Asmo declares as he fixates his eyes on the monsters. The chimeras seem ready to attack, but then what you assume is Asmodeus charm takes effect. "That´s right. Look into my eyes and be mesmerized!"

The creatures can´t take their eyes off of the Avatar of Lust. And was that... purring? Their claws relax and their expression makes them seem like they are now drooling for Asmo. Apparently, no one can really deny his power.. Aside from you, that is.

Asmodeus turns and beckons you to come closer. Once you do, both of you make your way to the stairs, the monsters following close behind. You try to ignore them, but the moment you reach the top of the stairs, you can´t help but ask about it.

"Oh, don´t worry about it.", Asmo soothes you. "It happens. They´ll stay close since they can´t help it."

After a few minutes of wandering around looking for the exit and a couple more charms, there´s a considerate group of creatures behind you. All of them have a stupid expression on their faces, and you start wondering how many more can Asmo charm, or if there´s even a limit to this power of his.

Eventually you reach your freedom. You go out first, exiting what on the outside looks like a normal house. When you turn around, you see Asmo holding the door and giving a final look to the hideous monsters. "Why don´t you all entertain each other for a while? Have fun!" The Avatar of Lust slams the door right after, and you are left confused.

"What does that do?"

"Something not even I want to hear from them. Let´s go.", Asmo rushes you to keep walking, and you feel a shiver run down your spine as you obey.

The outside looks like some kind of savanna. The grass is dry, and small trees are scattered around the place. It also looks like it´s sunset. Or is it sunrise? You have no idea, but there´s enough sunlight to get you around.

Though you don´t need it to be midday so see the monster lurking behind you.

You hold your breath the moment you hear snapping above you. Asmo is the first one to turn around, and his expression tells you it can´t be anything good. When you follow him, you see a huge centipede towering you two. Its pincer-like appendages snap open and close back, its head angling towards you. A curse escapes your mouth at the sight.

"Ugh, another one to charm.", Asmo complains, but prepares to use his powers. You already know it´s not going to work.

"No, Asmo, come on!", you pull him by his arm, but the Avatar of Lust doesn´t budges. "Relax! I got this! Come on, look me in the eyes, you stupid thing!"

The centipede seems to better calculate your position and angles its head a little more. Its forcipules open and aim at you, and that´s the moment Asmodeus tenses in place.

The arthropod attacks, and the fifth-born grabs you by the waist before flapping his wings and flying backwards. The centipede´s pincers barely get you, but Asmo is fast enough to dodge a second attack and to get some distance. 

"How can that be possible?!", the demon exclaims, and you hold on to him as he keeps you away from the monster´s grasp.

"Centipedes are blind! You can´t charm it!", you yell in between the loud snaps and the heavy steps of the arthropod that keep you on your toes.

"What?! That should be illegal! How can anyone live their lives without looking at my face?!"

"Focus, Asmo!"

The centipede moves swiftly, almost too swiftly for Asmodeus to keep up. Its flexible body wriggles again and again, correcting its position just in time to attempt another attack before Asmo can get comfortable. He tries to gain height, but the arthropod writhes upwards, making that the closest of calls you´ve had that day. You were quickly running out of options.

After a series of twists and turns, the Avatar of Lust finally manages some distance. The centipede hesitates, losing your position. Gently landing on the floor, Asmodeus releases you from his arms and sighs. "I didn´t want my baby to have to fight such a revolting creature, but this leaves me no choice!"

Before you can even ask what the hell he´s talking about, you notice the demon reaching for the golden scorpion adorning his demon form. He gently caresses the body of what until now you thought was an extravagant brooch. 

You could swear you saw the thing twitch. 

"Wake up, darling. Is time to protect your master.", Asmo purrs. A second later the scorpion surrounding his torso wiggles in place, releasing the heart it´s holding in its mouth. You watch with an opened mouth as the live brooch crawls Asmodeus´s shoulder, surrounds his neck and climbs his left arm the moment he raises it. The Avatar of Lust hums happily as he kneels on the ground, putting the scorpion down.

"Now what the--!", you exclaim, but stop when Asmo holds you and pulls away from the centipede´s new attack. The arthropod tries to follow your movements once again and Asmo seems to be keeping close this time. As surprised as you are by the scorpion, you can´t understand how that small thing is going to defeat the centipede. 

Your question is answered when the scorpion gets just below its enemy and grows exponentially. 

One of the scorpion´s claws quickly lifts the centipede by its body, holding it into place. Its elongated heart-shaped stinger whips upwards and then slams against the centipede´s body, delivering the first hit of the battle. Asmo´s creature hits a second time before the centipede wiggles away from its grasp. The two arthropods circle each other, and you watch both of them evade the other´s attack before trying a second time.

"Isn´t my baby beautiful?", Asmo sighs while you two hover close to the battle.

"You really think scorpions are beautiful?" 

"Of course they are! They symbolize passion and dominance! And just so happen to be extremely deadly... like me!", Asmo beams. 

You don´t have an answer to that, so instead you shift your attention to the battle. It seems like the scorpion is winning, but the centipede is still far from giving up. The enemy darts swiftly, managing to evade the scorpion´s claw and administer a bite of its own. The scorpion quickly tries to release itself from the centipede´s grasp. The two giants try to overpower the other, but it looks like a stalemate is in order. 

"Come on! Finish it!", Asmo yells.

The scorpion seems to hear its master. It finally pulls away from the centipede´s grasp, slamming the other arthropod against the floor before backing away. The centipede´s body swiftly wiggles again, this time attempting a longer reach attack. It angles it head forward and its forcipules open up. A clear substance shoots out of its mouth in the direction of the scorpion, but Asmo´s monster is quick to whip its tail again, hitting its enemy on the side and making the toxins spill at another direction. Your direction.  
The Avatar of Lust notices just in time and swifts to the side, evading the liquid. 

Or so you thought.

You scream in agony at the burning feeling on your neck and left hand. The acidic substance feels like an hot iron against your skin, and you flail your right hand, trying to reach for your neck to take it off. Asmodeus stops you, though. He grabs your wrist to stop you from injuring your other hand, and instead flies close to the house, farther away from the battle.

He sits you on the ground and then moves quickly to take off your stained clothes. Even through the pain, you catch the desperate look in his eyes as he practically rips off the buttons of your uniform and takes it off in seconds. He cleans the liquid from your hand as he pulls off the sleeve before moving for your green shirt, which he also rips apart in an instant. You gasp both embarrassed and impressed, but Asmo doesn´t says a word while he uses the shirt to clean your neck. Even if your skin is scorched, you whimper at the relief of not having the hazard on top of it. 

Asmodeus takes a good look at you, making sure there are no more traces of the acid on you. He sighs when he realizes the worst has passed. You instead wait for him to say something about your half nakedness, expecting to be embarrassed to your core. You feel vulnerable because of this turn of events, after all. 

The Avatar of Lust, very out of character in your opinion, doesn´t uses this chance to ogle you. Instead he takes off his own button-down shirt and offers it to you. A little shocked at his sweetness and uncharacteristic reticence, you extend your good arm. Asmodeus quickly dresses you back up with his shirt, helping you button it back on. The heart-shaped hole in the back still exposes some of your skin, but this is better than being completely exposed to the elements.

When he´s done, Asmodeus sighs and relaxes a little. "I´m so glad you´re okay, MC. I got worried almost to death for a minute!"

You stare at him, still in disbelief. It´s not like he _has _to flirt with you or make a joke, but it´s the first time you were half naked in front of him, and he doesn´t even seems willing to address the issue. Noticing your stare, Asmo furrows his brows and stares back. "What?"__

__"N-Nothing...", you shake your head, trying to dismiss the moment. But your awkwardness is too obvious, and eventually he catches on._ _

__The Avatar of Lust chuckles. "Sorry for not asking for permission to remove your clothes, MC. It was a matter of emergency."_ _

__Hearing him say it out loud makes you blush, but you remain silent. He continues. "I may be the Avatar of Lust, but I would _never_ do anything you didn´t desire. I love a lot of things, but do you know what´s the sexiest of them all?"_ _

__Asmo waits for you to shake your head no, and then he responds with a wink. "Consent."_ _

__You sit there, feeling stupid about your awkwardness. Of course Asmodeus wouldn´t do anything to hurt you. He´s had plenty of times to do it, and yet here he was, letting you know that you are the one drawing the lines here. It made you smile, that warmth inside your chest coming back, this time for him._ _

__"Thank you."_ _

__Asmo only smiles at that. "Anything for you, darling."_ _

__You chuckle at his response. Before you can add a snarky response, the familiar feeling of warmth in your arm returns. The symbol of Lust over a pink background quickly fills up the third circle, and this time you smile at it. Now that you know the purpose of these missions, it feels great to achieve them._ _

__The sound of an opening portal makes both of you look to your right. The portal is right there, as you expected. Asmodeus offers you a hand to help you get up, and you take it. The battle between the scorpion and the centipede is still going on, but finally Asmodeus´ weapon is taking the lead. For what it looks like, it will be over in the next minute._ _

__"So I guess is your time to go then?", the demon asks as he turns to you, a sad smile pulling a corner of his lips._ _

__"Yeah... I need to keep going in order to finish the tasks."_ _

__The remainder of what happened with the first two brothers you encountered returns to your mind the moment Asmodeus steps closer. To some of your relief, the Avatar of Lust reaches for your good hand and leans to kiss the back of it. He sighs, closing his eyes for a moment and then smiles at you. "Ahh. I really want to kiss you goodbye all over, MC. But don´t worry! Like I said, you are in charge here."_ _

__Your heartbeat increases, naturally. Here you are again in this predicament. Where you going to end up kissing all the brothers today? It certainly wasn´t part of the mission since the symbol was already tattooed in your skin. And yet, the idea of it made your heart flutter. You knew they´d grown fond of you. It was quite obvious, considering how they always hovered around you and how well the treated you._ _

__Just the same, you´ve grown fond of each and every one of these rulers of hell. It was the reason you were doing this in the first place, to be with them until the end of days._ _

__Finding your resolve, you blushed one more time. It was hard not to after coming with this decision of yours, but if today was the day it was going to happen, then so be it._ _

__"Well... maybe just one kiss."_ _

__The look of surprise in Asmodeus´ face is clear, although excited. Now with a full blown smile, the demon pulls you closer by your hand, his other arm surrounding your lower back as your bodies pressed together. If you were trying to ignore his shirtless state before, now it´s impossible to do so._ _

__"Oh? Is that so?"_ _

__"No teasing, Asmo.", you retaliate. The Avatar of Lust replies with a devious smile but, as promised, your word is law. "Right."_ _

__You can feel your chest tightening as you stare at each other. Then Asmodeus leans in to kiss your cheek softly. You feel his lips burn your skin, or maybe it´s the heat flushing up to your face. Asmo pulls back, but lingers, and so do you. Both you know what you want, and so you angle yourselves better._ _

__Asmodeus finally places a chaste kiss on your lips._ _

__Pulling away after a second, he also lets you go, and you feel like you can breathe again._ _

__"Ahh, you really are too cute, MC."_ _

__"I gotta go now.", you say, a smile on your lips. There´s a new sense of pride inside your chest, overall all the embarrassment._ _

__"I´ll see you later then!", Asmo smiles, "And I also expect that shirt back!"_ _

__You chuckle at that, and then wave goodbye as you go through that portal._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took FOREVER!! I´m sorry!! T_T
> 
> It was really hard to write, and I´m still not completely content with it, but I had to let it go. 
> 
> I´m sorry if I didn´t deliver. I tried my very best.
> 
> Next chapter: The Ace Up Your Sleeve, Wrath vs Patience 
> 
> See you then!!


	5. The Ace Up Your Sleeve, Wrath vs Patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holding up to the hope that it´s Satan´s wrath what´s fueling their violence, you surround the nape of Satan´s neck with your right hand. Your fingers massage his hairline in small circles as you try to sooth him. "They´re responding to you, Satan. If you calm down, so will they." You speak softly, using your voice to inspire his composure.
> 
> The Avatar of Wrath growls and tries to remove you from him, but you resist him. If he´s still conscious enough to not hurt you, then he´s still there with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Patience: the level of endurance one can have before negativity. Tolerance of provocation without responding in annoyance/anger.
> 
> WARNING: This chapter is super long because I had to explain more of the plot, but have no self control. For that same reason, I barely checked for errors. Too tired for that!
> 
> Also, I hope everyone is staying safe. These are difficult times, so I send you lots of love. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

The portal pushed you into your next destination. 

You stumble and fall onto the ground on all fours, a small huff exiting your mouth as you land. The ground is rocky, though some grass still appears in between the stones and the shallow puddle you fell on. The wetness of the ground beneath you made you lift one hand to check what exactly you landed on. Though it was a liquid alright, it felt slick instead of watery. 

You take a look at the substance. It was dark red, almost black, and a strong metallic scent emanated from it. Your chest tightens, and you follow the liquid staining the grass with your eyes. It leads you to the dismembered body of a creature at your right.

You repress a scream. It´s clear to you that this liquid is the monster´s blood, and the fact that you´re practically bathing in it makes your head feel dizzy. Inspecting the rest of your surroundings, you notice this corpse is not the only one. A dozen more are scattered around the field, a battlefield. This image of violence sets into your mind, and you wonder what kind of creature can do something like this. The monsters weren´t just dead. They´d been ripped apart limb by limb, their bowels exposed to the outside world. 

The carnage is too much. You push yourself up, even if your legs feel like jelly. It´s crucial that you get out of there before the killer returns and you are in danger as well. You need to find Satan. 

"MC?..."

You turn around at the familiar voice behind you. The male seems to be turning around as well, probably after hearing you get up. Your eyes fixate on the Avatar of Wrath in front of you. 

The blonde is panting as if he´d just run a mile. There´s blood all over his dark grey dress shirt, his hands, hair and face. He looks like he just bathed in one of the creatures´ blood, and that´s when it hits you. You were wishing Satan wasn´t responsible for this massacre, but that´s exactly what it looks like. You´re not exactly surprised, but it still makes your body freeze.

Satan´s first instinct is to run towards you. It´s evident in the way his body leans forward, taking one step before he tenses in place. The realization of his current state makes him stop completely, hesitate if he should even approach you. 

Besides your naturally human nervousness, you still wonder if he´s injured, if there´s a chance some of that blood is his. The concerned look in your eyes is evident despite the shock, and Satan seems to read your mind before you can ask the question.

"It´s not mine.", he says as he looks at his own hands. You can´t see their pale skin, only the blood that covers them like a glove. The thought of what he had to do to get them like that makes you shiver.

Satan moves again, inspecting your surroundings for any signal of danger before laying eyes on you. "We don´t have much time. Come with me." 

Still without saying a word, you move towards the blonde. He turns and starts leading you towards a passage between two massive rocks. The path is narrow at first, but you manage to pull through, Satan in front of you and alert in case there´s any danger. The sound of running water echoes between the walls, and it doesn´t takes long before the river current is revealed to you.

"We need to cross it. Hide our scent." Satan informs as he turns to look at you. You can see the fatigue in his eyes, and yet there´s apprehension in them. Not being able to hold on much longer, you speak.

"Satan, what´s going on? What happened back there?"

The Avatar of Wrath hesitates to answer. "I.. I´ve lost count of how many times I´ve killed those things. They just keep coming and coming." You frown at that. With the other brothers, killing the monsters once was enough. 

"It feels like I´m stuck in a loop.", the blonde explains as he beckons you to come closer to the current. You imitate him and get your legs inside. The water is cold enough to make you gasp, but you swallow your complain when you see Satan going deeper. The river is shallow enough to only cover the demon up to his chest, so you figure is okay for you too. Taking a big breath in, you decide to force yourself into the water all at once. 

You resurface after a few seconds and start cleaning your hands and legs from the blood still covering them. Satan does the same, scrubbing the half-dried blood off his clothes as much as he can. He moves to his head, stroking his hair clean before doing the same with his cheeks.

You move forward once you´re done with yourself and help him with a spot bellow his left ear he wasn´t quite getting. "I´m just glad you´re okay... Having that disaster be the first thing I saw after getting here was... Shocking." You sigh as you move to help him with his neck next. 

Satan stops, watching you in silence as you help him clean himself. You notice he releases some of his tension, and honestly so do you. You know it´s the Avatar of Wrath you´re accompanying now, you know he´s able to do the things he did to those creatures. He even threatened you once, that time you refused to make a pact with him. And yet, here you are, touching him without fearing for your life. His eyes never leave you, but they aren´t hostile. His apprehension slowly slips away with each of your caresses, giving way to the kindness you know runs inside him. If anything, he is as much in deep thought as you were. 

"We should keep going.", Satan whispers after a minute, taking you out of the trance. He seems clean enough, after all. Plus, the water was too cold to handle for too long.

The both of you finish crossing the river. Satan takes your hand midway up the rocky land to help you climb a suddenly sharp slope. 

Without saying a work, the Avatar of Wrath gently holds your other hand. "Stay still.", he orders, and you curiously wait for him to do whatever he intends to do. The demon whispers some words in a language you´ve never heard before. Frowning, you open your mouth to ask what he was doing, when suddenly you feel a warm current forming between your bodies. The wind gets stronger, messing with both of your clothes and hairs. The blonde smirks when you hold his hands tighter, but says nothing as the current intensifies a little more, engulfing your bodies.

Just like magic, and you´re sure that´s exactly what it is, both your and Satan´s clothes and skin are completely dry. 

"That´s better.", he sighs, letting go of your hands. You miss his touch almost instantly, but push the feeling to the back of your head while you inspect yourself.  
"I didn´t know you could do magic like that. That´s so cool, Satan!"

Satan smiles and nods at you before beckoning you to keep walking. "Since I am powerful enough, I don´t need a book or materials to make simple magic like that. I can use my own energy as exchange."

You´re not sure where Satan is leading you, but you´re walking through a huge crack in a mountain. The fissure is about ten feet in width, enough to let you walk side my side while still providing protection from whatever is was you were trying to avoid. 

"May I ask why are you wearing Asmodeus´s shirt?", Satan asks after a minute, his eyes inspecting you. You blush a little at the intensity of his stare.

"We were fighting some huge centipede and some of its poison fell on me. We had to remove my clothes, so Asmo lend it to me."

Satan raises an eyebrow at you, so you explain how you´ve already met with some of his brothers. You tell him about how each of them has also been attacked by monsters, and how you seem to be the only one capable to move from one brother to another. Finally, you let him know what Beelzebub told you about the missions you´re supposed to complete in order to get your immortality. 

The Avatar of Wrath doesn´t seems surprised at this. He takes a look at your arm, studying the symbols in it and the empty circles as you stop your walking. 

There´s something in his eyes, a spark you recognize as the beginning of his bad mood. It´s been a long while since the last time he directed his anger at you, but an angry Satan is never a good sight regardless. Trying to keep him out from his thoughts, you talk.

"Beel also said... He said you were looking for a way to make me immortal... Is that true?"

Your words distract Satan enough. His eyes show the hint of surprise, a soft pink adorning his cheeks. He lets go of your arm. "Well... You´ve expressed your interest on the matter a couple of times. So I thought it´d be interesting to explore that idea." 

A sincere smile spreads on your lips. He looks so cute when he´s embarrassed. "Thank you, Satan. I really appreciate it."

The Avatar of Wrath turns to look some other way. "You... You´re welcome."

"Anyway.", he says after shaking his head. "How have you been opening those portals?"

A sigh of frustration escapes you, and you confess you still have no idea how. "I´m actually surprised I got this far without figuring it out."

Satan brings his hand to his chin, taking a moment to think. He asks you to start from the beginning and tell him what happened with his brothers. 

The both of you walk a little farther away, reaching a spot that seems safe enough before you tell him your story. The blonde pays attention to every word, and it´s easy to see his thoughts turning as he considers the options. Satan looks just the way he does every time he´s decoding some mystery, and the familiarity in his expression relaxes you as well.

When you´re done, the blonde takes a moment to think.

"Alright. So the portal opens only after the symbols appear on your skin.", Satan finally speaks. 

"That´s right."

"And we know it´s _not _because of defeating the monsters, since Asmo´s scorpion hadn´t finished the centipede when the portal opened."__

__You nod, your eyes fixated on Satan while he tries to decode the mystery. He takes a few seconds before speaking again. "How did that riddle go again?"_ _

__Your brows furrow as you try to remember. Everything was happening so fast you´ve already forgotten its existence. "It went... Uh... The echo of the sound, the shadow of the light... Only one way for a human to live and never die." Satan hums at your words._ _

__"Belphie said the echo could be like a memory. It´s what´s left of the sound." You propose, and he nods._ _

__"The shadow is what the light doesn´t reaches or what has left behind... Like us demons, who used to be angels."_ _

__"So... I get to be immortal if I make a memory with each one of you? That makes no sense, we already have countless of memories together.", you argue, frustrated. But Satan seems to be thinking beyond that._ _

__"Unless it´s not just any memory, but a specific one.", he says, looking at the symbols in your arm. "How did you say Beel defeated that spider?"_ _

__The question catches you off guard. You don´t understand how those details are important, but you indulge him. "He separated the locusts in two groups. One of them distracted the spider while the other pierced its belly on a spot."_ _

__"So... he basically commanded one half of the swarm to not eat, and the other to eat on a specific way."_ _

__"I guess?"_ _

__"And Belphie, he killed all the monsters, right? He didn´t leave a part of them sleeping or paralyzed?"_ _

__"No... He killed them all. Where are you going with-?"_ _

__Satan beckons your silence with a palm in the air while he puts all the pieces together. "And Asmo didn´t even seem to care while you were half naked in from of him..."_ _

__You shrink a little on your spot, still unsure of where Satan is going with all of this. The Avatar of Wrath takes a few more seconds, but then just laughs as if the answer to this riddle was the most ridiculous thing. "Oh, for all that´s unholy."_ _

__"What? What is it??", you pressure. There´s anxiety making your chest tighten. Whatever you´ve been doing, you´ve been doing it unintentionally._ _

__Satan looks at you, a smile still on his lips, but there´s a look in his eyes that you still can´t decipher. "You´re making us renounce ourselves, MC. Even if just for a moment."_ _

__The look of surprise you give him is enough to keep him talking. "The memory you have to achieve is of us refusing our domains, for _you_."_ _

__"I don´t-"_ _

__"Think about it. Belphie _never_ fights. He just stays close to Beel and paralyzes any enemies long enough for any of us to kill them instead. Beel _devours_ enemies, he doesn´t devise strategies on how to kill them better. And Asmo, when have you ever seen him miss an opportunity to be a complete flirt?" _ _

__You remain silent, thinking it through. There was no way you´d be able to figure that out on your own, but it does make sense. The symbol of Sloth appeared right after Belphegor finished those monsters. The symbol of Gluttony appeared after Beelzebub implemented that tactic, and you got the symbol of Lust after Asmodeus helped you change clothes and told you he´d never do anything to you that you didn´t want._ _

__"I really didn´t think you´d have that kind of power over us..." Satan adds after the silence coming from you._ _

__"Are you... mad?", you ask worriedly. Your expression catches Satan off guard, but he sighs, half a smile spreading on his lips. The gentleness in his eyes returns. With a swift motion, the blonde gets up from the rock he was sitting on and sits beside you. "No, of course not... If you have that power, it´s because we gave it to you."_ _

__You can feel your cheeks heating up. His proximity and his words make you heart flutter inside you, but you remain quiet while Satan gently grabs your arm and inspects the symbols again. He looks at them for a few seconds, decoding his own silent questions in silence._ _

__"If the order in which you are meeting us stays the same... Then at the end you´ll end up with Lucifer.", Satan mentions after another moment of silence. He scoffs, one of his eyebrows twitching. "How convenient."_ _

__The Avatar of Wrath gets up again. "I´m beginning to think this is not that much of an accident."_ _

__"What do you mean?"_ _

__"Exactly what I´m saying.", he responds, his aggravation noticeable in his voice. "He said we ended up here on accident, but what if the bastard couldn´t wait to be the one to give you the opportunity to be immortal, and just threw us here without a warning?"_ _

__"That... doesn´t sounds like Lucifer. He wouldn´t put us in danger for such a reason, would he?", you argue. The blonde´s eyes stare at you, and for a instant you regret your words. Satan´s tail uncoils from his leg and whips the rocky ground in annoyance, the resemblance to a cat´s antics too obvious to ignore._ _

__It dawns on you, he´s still unstable from the several times he´s had to kill those creatures. His wrath is still too close to the surface, and any small thing could irk him back into his ferocious behavior._ _

__Satan prepares to convince you, but his attention leaves you when the sound of shifting rocks surround the place. From the corners of the rocky walls, chimeras very similar to those you faced with Belphegor appear. They climb the rocks at each side of you and block the path you took to get there, their hungry eyes consuming you from afar. The time was up._ _

__The demon curses out loud, his tail whipping the ground harder this time. His green eyes shine bright, and you feel the atmosphere around him grow heavy. This is it, this is the feeling you get in your skin whenever Satan starts to lose his temper. Soon he´ll be uncontrollable._ _

__You need to stop him. If his theory is correct, then the monsters keep appearing because he´s killing them in his savaged stage. Satan needs to fight with a clear mind.__

__

__You need to make Satan renounce his urges._ _

__You can see Satan´s demonic aura slip through, his face contorting into an angry expression, his teeth showing. The monsters surround you in the tight space, so you keep close to the Avatar of Wrath. The blonde doesn´t misses a beat. You watch as he exposes his left palm and uses his right index nail to cut himself. As soon as his palm is bleeding, Satan presses his hand into a fist, the blood dripping as he starts chanting in that weird language you heard at the river._ _

__You can only wait and watch as his blood falls on the ground. The place the blood falls on becomes what you soon realize it´s the center of a encircled pentagram. The symbol glows with a green flame, and you soon see the area inside it twist and turn, as if space and time were warping in front of you._ _

__Satan pulls you back with him until you are a few feet away from the flames. The monsters seem to stop as well, expectant of what´s about to exit that new portal. As you hold on to Satan, you hear the growl of a beast coming from inside the hole._ _

__First a claw, then another. You stand paralyzed as the monster climbs its way up to the surface. The creature is something like a panther, but its overgrown claws and teeth warn of something much more sinister, much more demonic. Its muscled body is a big as a Shire horse, and for a moment you think how small you´d feel if you ever got to ride it._ _

__"What is that...?", you ask, surprised Satan can manage to summon a whole demonic beast with just a little bit of his blood and a few words. All those magical books he´s read are coming in handy now, and you are secretly grateful this ability of his keeps him from resorting to his feral state._ _

__"A polymorph. Let´s go.", he answers, his voice lower than usual. He is containing himself from jumping at those monsters, you can feel it. Still, there was a priority in your mind as Satan pushes you closer to the creature. The feline monster notices your presence, but quickly turns towards the chimeras that are ready to pounce at you. With a warning snarling sound, the feline manages to make the creatures hesitate on their attack._ _

__"W-Wait, Satan. I don´t want to get on that.", you try to resist him, but the Avatar of Wrath only hugs you when you are close enough to the feline._ _

__"I want you safe. This is how we manage that.", he insists. You open your mouth to say something, but the look on his eyes stops you. It´s a mixture of his violence and his desire to keep you alive. And maybe, just maybe, the fear of having you see what he has to do to achieve that._ _

__Satan helps you climb the beast, and you hold on to its fur the moment you are well seated. The feline doesn´t resists you. Instead it awaits for the order of its master. Satan squeezes your hand before letting go, but you catch it back before he can pull away completely._ _

__"Come with me.", you plead. You can´t let him resort to his wrath; it will only feed this vicious cycle._ _

__"Go.", he insists. His eyes dart towards the monsters as the feline gives another warning growl._ _

__"I want you with _me_ , Satan. _Please_." _ _

__The Avatar of Wrath hesitates, calculating his options. The monsters grow tired of waiting, and give a threatening snarl of their own when the feline attempts to keep them in place. They keep pushing closer and closer, convinced on devouring you._ _

__You mouth Satan´s name again, this time with a tone of urgency in your voice. This is what seems to convince him. With a grunt, the blonde quickly climbs the feline and settles behind you. There´s relief washing over you as he places his arms at each of your sides, his hands grabbing on the feline´s fur._ _

__"Hold on, princess."_ _

__You feel Satan´s tail wrap around your waists, keeping your bodies flushed together. The way the term of endearment makes you feel distracts you while the Avatar of Wrath commands the feline to turn around and run away. You can only grab on as best as you can while you are kept in place against Satan´s body and your seat._ _

__The monsters don´t miss a beat and follow close behind._ _

__The feline´s speed is faster than a horse´s, and you are grateful for Satan´s tail keeping you from falling as you ride the beast. You know the forceful movements are going to take a toll on you later, but right now safety is the priority._ _

__The monsters are close behind. Some of them are running on the ground, tailgating your transport. Others´ claws are strong enough to grip the rocky walls and flank your sides as they climb the stones. One of them is especially fast, gaining momentum on your left, its mouth opened in expectation as it gets closer. Satan shifts behind you, his left hand extending towards the creature, anticipating the attack. The monster leaps at you, claws and teeth first. You gasp at the sight of danger, but the blonde is ready. He shouts a commanding word and leans forward, holding you steady before the burst of power is expelled from his palm. The energy acts as an invisible shield, stopping the animal in midair and pushing it back._ _

__The feline stumbles a little because of the power, but regains its running in an instant. Satan returns his hold on the fur, and you can feel his ragged breathing on your ear._ _

__"Satan, what´s wrong?" Your question is strained. Ridding on uneven ground keeps your body tense, but that´s the least of your worries. Satan sounds breathless as he answers._ _

__"I... I´ve been using magic too much today, before you got here." He takes a breath before continuing. "After summoning the polymorph... I don´t know how much more I can manage."_ _

__The end of the mountain´s figure surprises you after a sharp turn. The polymorph digs its claws on the rocky ground and brakes, winning against the inertia that pushes you forward. You´re about to straighten up, but Satan keeps you there as he leans forward as well and commands the beast to keep going._ _

__The feline gets the hint and jumps towards the rocks. Its claws are strong, and soon enough your transport is climbing the walls as easily as a cat climbs a tree. The new angle strains your grip on the animal, but Satan is right there to support you._ _

__The chimeras follow you as expected. The ones already climbing the walls hurry towards you, but you have enough distance to breathe. Still, you don´t relax enough._ _

__"Listen, MC.", Satan catches your attention. His body is still keeping yours against the polymorph´s spine. You´re sure you´d fall if it weren´t for his efforts. "Once we get to the top, I´ll take care of those things."_ _

__"How?"_ _

__He falters before answering. "The old fashioned way."_ _

__"You can´t! If you do it, they´ll just come back again.", you insist, but Satan persists. "We can figure that out later! But I can´t keep using magic like this!"_ _

__The monsters cry behind you, getting closer and closer with each jump._ _

__"You won´t be able to use it after they reappear either!"_ _

__Satan growls in disapproval, but you stand your ground. "We´ll find another way, just--"_ _

__"There _is_ no other way."_ _

__The polymorph finally pulls through, reaching the top of the mountain. The top is devoid of trees, just grass in between scattered rocks. The feline sprints away from the edge as you settle at the change of angle. It takes just a moment to shift your position, but that´s enough time lost. As you try to speak again to convince Satan, you watch from your periphery as one of those chimeras arrives at the top and leaps so high it reaches the polymorph._ _

__There´s nothing neither of you can do to evade it. The beast pushes you both off the polymorph, but Satan is fast enough to shift his body so that he´s the one hitting the ground. You remain undamaged over him, and you feel his tail uncoiling while he sits you both up._ _

__The creature that pushed you positions itself over the polymorph before leaping your way again. Satan pushes you off of him just in time to receive the monster that falls on him. The chimera open its mouth and shrieks, showing intimidating teeth while its claws attempt to destroy Satan´s head. The blonde cranes his head just in time to evade the attack, responding with a growl of his own. The monster attempts another attack, but the Avatar of Wrath wraps his tail around the creature´s neck. The thing can barely squirm before the tail´s strength detaches its head from the rest of its body. The blood that spills out of the now limp body is enough to make a mess of the blonde´s clothes again._ _

__The Avatar of Wrath is already bordering the door of his savage state. As you attempt to return to his side, you feel something grab on your shoulder and pull back, taking you with it. Satan notices and quickly leaps at you, snatching you away from the creature with one hand while the other releases a burst of energy that pushes the monster away._ _

__You are quick to grab on to Satan. Everything is happening too fast for you to have a moment to think. These chimeras aren´t waiting around, their attacks vicious. It makes you wonder if it´s because of the blonde´s state. They appear to grow more violent as Satan´s anger surfaces. You feel his arm surround your body, pressing you against him, a little bit stronger than normal. You fight the pang of pain and look up at his face. Satan´s growls as the monsters the polymorph misses surround you. His eyes are shining- his power evident in them- but his awareness of himself is leaving him. Just a little more and he´ll stop being the demon you know and love._ _

__"Satan, wait." You tense as the fourth-born´s aura spills around you, that heavy desire for violence obvious in the way he looks at the enemy. He seems to ignore your call, his tail moving from side to side violently._ _

__And yet, he´s still to make a move._ _

__The five chimeras surrounding you look as intimidating as ever, teeth and claws showing and snarling. Satan responds the same, and though the monsters´ teeth are bigger, Satan´s seem more ready to rip skin apart. If there´s a change to stop him from using his own hands for murder, the time is now._ _

__Holding up to the hope that it´s Satan´s wrath what´s fuelling their violence, you surround the nape of Satan´s neck with your right hand. Your fingers massage his hairline in small circles as you try to sooth him. "They´re responding to you, Satan. If you calm down, so will they." You speak softly, using your voice to inspire his composure._ _

__The Avatar of Wrath growls and tries to remove you from him, but you resist him. If he´s still conscious enough to not hurt you, then he´s still there with you. The creatures seem a little calmer now, but you don´t want to stretch your luck. "Use my energy if you need it... But you come back to me right now!"_ _

__Satan grabs on to your arm, attempting to pull you away from him. His fingers cover the symbols on your skin, and the shock of electricity you feel when he does it makes you gasp. He feels it too, you understand it when his eyes lose the killing intent and warm up. It is then, when he drops his guard to look at you that the monsters decide they are done waiting. All of them jump at you, and you know there´s no way out of it._ _

__Satan speaks your name. Whatever it is, whatever he is thinking, you don´t care. "Yes, do it!"_ _

__You don´t have to tell him twice. Satan´s eyes are full of intention as he looks at the monsters._ _

__It all happens in an instant. He uses that language again, and you feel energy being pulled out of you as he speaks. There are sparks in his eyes, and you realize where the energy you are losing is going. The recharge happens and though you feel dizzy, you keep holding on to him. It feels like someone is sucking out your soul, as if your very being is being used as a channel. Finally you feel a new burst of energy pulling out of you, and pushing into him._ _

__That is the last thing you feel before your mind goes black._ _

__

__

__Little by little, your brain finds itself in that sea of darkness you´ve been covered in. Your awareness of the world returns in the form of aching muscles and dizziness. The sunlight burns your sight, but you flutter your eyes, adjusting to it as you try to move your body._ _

__You hear Satan´s voice speak your name, his tone low and mellow. As you turn your right, your eyes focus on the sea of blonde on top of his head, and the warm green of his eyes. His expression is one of relief, and you feel his hand on your cheek as he smiles at you._ _

__"What..."_ _

__"You fainted, but you´re alright now. We´re safe." The fourth-born speaks softly, as if his voice could hurt your ears._ _

__Relief washes over you at this information. Smiling, you reach for his own face, placing your right hand on his cheek. Satan sighs and leans into your touch, and you take in the scene. It´s not always the Avatar of Wrath craves so much of your touch, so you are settled on enjoying this moment despite feeling so tired._ _

__Your sight clears as you share the comfortable silence. There, in your inner forearm you can see it, the symbol of Wrath tattooed over a green circle. Satan seems to understand that smile on your face. His finger traces his symbol gently, and there´s no better feeling in the world. If the symbol was there, then Satan conquered his own domain._ _

__While you take a minute or two to regain your strength, Satan explains what happened. It seems that the moment he touched his brothers´ symbols, he felt a connection between his energy and theirs. You, he assumes, were the channel between them. You were the bridge that allowed him to borrow energy from his brothers so that he could recharge his powers. You´re not sure everything makes sense to you. After all, you´re only a human. But maybe your angelical ancestry allowed you to pull off tricks like those. It´s something you all were going to figure out later._ _

__Satan helps you sit up when you stop feeling dizzy. You see the portal a few meters from you, but you ignore it. The Avatar of Wrath seems like he wants to say something else, so that´s your priority._ _

__"I still can´t believe you managed to do something like that. I was so worried when you fainted.", he says, his hand against his chest and his eyes showing concern for you. You smile at him when he adds, "You truly are something else."_ _

__"I guess you guys have to stop underestimating me now, huh?" Honestly, you don´t want to try that again until finding out how the hell you managed such a thing._ _

__Satan laughs and nods. There´s something else on his mind, you can tell, when he turns to look at the portal a few feet from you. Allowing him the time to gather his thoughts, you remain quiet._ _

__"Say, MC... After we´re done with this, would you like to come to my room and pick up a book?"_ _

__"Hm?"_ _

__Satan turns to you with a smile. "You´ll keep your promise, right? You´ll read all the books in my room. I have to help you pick the first one."_ _

__You blink at him a little surprised, but then laugh and say yes. The look on your face makes him smile even more. "I´m glad."_ _

__Satan gently holds your hand and places it against his cheek again. You can´t deny him, so you caress his face as he leans into your touch. He holds onto your wrist as you do, his green orbs looking at you like he could find all the answers of the world inside your eyes. You know what´s coming. You know what he wants._ _

__You know you won´t deny him that either, so you hold his face as he leans forward. It takes just a second for his lips to grace yours, but the Avatar of Wrath lingers, giving you a change to pull back._ _

__As if you were _ever_ going to do that. After all, there are some desires worth following._ _

__"I have to go...", you manage to say after you pull back from each other. The ghost of his lips are still on yours, and you can´t escape the blush that sets on your cheeks._ _

__"You think I´ll let you go after that?", he purrs, and his melodious voice makes you shiver._ _

__"You will if you want us to get out of here.", you reply._ _

__The blonde hums, considering it. But you know he´s just playing with you. "Fine. We´ll continue this later then."_ _

__You blush at his words, but decide not to answer. It´s important that you keep going. It is impossible to imagine what Levi, Mammon, and Lucifer are going through trapped in their worlds, so you need to reach them before it is too late._ _

__With that in mind, you leave Satan and step into the portal, into your next destination._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I´m really gonna have to implement a time limit when I´m writing. Otherwise the chapters are going to keep getting longer and longer...
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one! Let me know if you did. :) 
> 
> Next Chapter: The Grand Admiral of Hell´s Navy, Envy vs Gratitute
> 
> See you then!!


	6. The Grand Admiral of Hell´s Navy, Envy vs Gratitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The darkness around you is slowly dissipated by a gentle purple light. The light takes the shape of coral-like horns, and you start to make out Leviathan´s silhouette in front of you. His horns are gleaming with spots of purple and deep blue, just like the diamond markings on the right side of his neck. Your surroundings also start taking form. It´s a small air pocket, with rocky walls circling you a few feet around. But your eyes are locked on the site before you. There´s a pair of amber eyes looking at you, shining even in the dim light. 
> 
> You wonder how someone so beautiful can think so little of himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gratitude: it comes from the Latin word "gratus", which means thankful, pleasing. It´s a feeling of happiness that comes from appreciation of one´s own circumstances and opportunities.
> 
> This chapter was a challenge! I´ll come back to it later to check for errors, but right now I need to take a break from it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

You hit a wall, a hard but moldable wall that envelops every corner of your skin. The feeling of a thousand needles piercing your body stuns you. It´s the coldness and the darkness and the desperation that makes you thrash your arms and legs around, the sensation of impending doom the only thing inside your head. 

You are unmistakably underwater. 

It´s instinct to swim up, so you try your best to keep a calm mind among the anxiety-inducing situation. The pitch black darkness makes it impossible to know how deep under you are, but you hope the little air inside your lungs is enough for a chance of survival. Unfortunately, the adrenaline already running through your veins and your beating heart make it seem like this is the end of you. 

Doing your best not to be consumed by your own panic, you keep swimming up and up. The muscles of your arms and legs burn, and your chest tightens as you run out of time to find air. You need to breathe, you need to open your mouth and take a breath. The feeling intensifies, and your brain screams for the release that you deny. If you give in, if you succumb now, it will be the end. 

But the limit is near, too close for comfort. 

You tighten your jaw, but your lips separate, releasing the first air bubbles from inside you. The time is running out, so you flap your legs with the last of your strength and open way with your arms before your brain loses the battle. 

Your mouth opens and you are forced to take a breath.

Water and air enter your lungs as you break through the water surface, your head poking out of the liquid that owned you just an instant ago. Relief and pain intertwine as you furiously cough, take a big inhale, and then cough some more. You feel dizzy and confused, but the worst has passed. 

After a minute of two, you are breathing normally again. You can hear the echo of the sound your arms make when they disturb the water. Even if your managed to get to the surface, it´s apparent you are still trapped. 

"Levi?" 

You call out, but only the echo of your voice hits the walls. 

"Leviathan!"

Your legs and arms keep you afloat while you wait for any sign the Avatar of Envy is near. So far, only silence greets you back.

It´s unnerving to feel alone and lost in total darkness. There´s not much you can do but wait, wishing for Leviathan to find you. Yelling his name again, you notice the trembling of your voice. The water is cold, and you are uncomfortable. How long could you stay there before you freeze to death? How much oxygen is in this air bubble, anyway? The lack of information feeds your worries.

As you ponder about these things, the water below you vibrates. Your senses sharpen as a guttural sound comes from beneath you. 

"Leviathan!" Your voice trembles again, and this time you´re not sure if it´s because of the cold, or the fear that sets into your mind as your imagination runs wild. 

The water vibrates again, closer and closer as the growl from deep within intensifies. You are torn between staying quiet and screaming for Leviathan. But at this point, is staying quiet going to make a difference?

You open your mouth to scream again when something grabs your right leg. You gasp, and that´s the only air you manage to take before you are pulled underwater again. 

Your legs thrash in desperation, trying to make whatever has you on their grip to let you go. Another force grasps your left arm and you hold on a scream, knowing it would be the end of your chance at survival. As you try to grab onto something or steal yourself away, the growl turns into a scream at your left ear. Even with your eyes closed, you can see a light shine in front of you. 

The thing that´s holding you lets you go, and a second later you feel a pair of hands grab your sides and push you back to the surface. 

You gasp for air and try to push away whatever has you now. You are met with a hard chest and hands that try to calm you down. 

"It´s okay! It´s me!" You recognize Leviathan´s voice as he calls your name. The moment you do, you stop fighting and allow him to pull you into an embrace.

"Levi!" There´s relief in your voice as you wrap your arms around him. The familiarity of his body against yours gives you the sense of safety you´ve desperately been craving for.

"You´re fine. I´m here now..."

The two of you remain locked for a little while. Slowly, your breathing comes back to normal; only the faint trembling of your lips remains as a sign of your discomfort. Gently, Levi pushes you away and you reluctantly let him create a small gap between you. Your hands stay on his shoulders as his hands stay on your waist.

"What are you doing here?", the third-born asks, worry in his tone. "It´s dangerous!"

"I came through a portal. It´s a long story, but I need to meet all of you if I´m to finish the book´s requirements." You don´t want to mention your mission in fear that it may hinder it. "Now I´m here, and then I´ll meet with Mammon and Lucifer."

"Okay..." Leviathan doesn´t sounds like he´s following, but you feel him nod. You wish you could see his face. "Where are we?"

"I´m not sure. At first I thought it was the Abysmal Sea since it looks similar. But it´s somewhere else, some underwater cave. There´re also many monsters around. Some of them look like my navy, and yet they don´t follow my orders."

"Your navy?... Wait, so you can see in this darkness?"

"Of course! I´m a demon, after all."

His answer makes you feel stupid. Of course he can see. You are reminded how human you are, how fragile and easy to kill your body is. You are cold, and you couldn´t hold your breath for long. How are you supposed to help him conquer his domain if you couldn´t even breathe?

"What´s the matter?" Levi asks, and you realize you´ve been frowning this whole time. Letting out a sigh, you answer.

"I can´t see. I want to see you and I want to help you..." you admit.

Leviathan doesn´t answers at first. His shoulders tense under the palms of your hands, but you are not sure why.

"S-See me? I don´t think... I don´t think that´s a good idea."

His words make you curious, so you ask why.

"B-Because! I look weird! You´ll laugh at me, I know it!"

You would never do something like that, even less when he was being so self-conscious about something. You knew of Leviathan´s low self-esteem, and that was no joking matter to you.

"Levi, I would never make fun of you. You know that...", you speak softly, moving your hand to the side of his neck and caressing it.

His breath hitches, and you are reminded that even if he´s somewhat used to your touch-and sometimes even seeks for it- the Avatar of Envy has a low threshold when it comes to physical contact. You remove your hand from his neck and return it to his shoulder, where he seems to be more comfortable. 

"F-Fine..." Levi says reluctantly. You brace yourself for whatever it´s coming next. 

The darkness around you is slowly dissipated by a gentle purple light. The light takes the shape of coral-like horns, and you start to make out Leviathan´s silhouette in front of you. His horns are gleaming with spots of purple and deep blue, just like the diamond markings on the right side of his neck. Your surroundings also start taking form. It´s a small air pocket, with rocky walls circling you a few feet around. But your eyes are locked on the site before you. There´s a pair of amber eyes looking at you, shining even in the dim light. 

You wonder how someone so beautiful can think so little of himself. 

In his new form Leviathan´s pupils are slit, like snake eyes. His orange irises glimmer with specs of purple, and his skin seems to glow, fine iridescent lines drawing scales on his otherwise human-looking skin. 

You can´t help but smile, and Leviathan instantly blushes, a purple tint covering his cheeks. The third oldest covers his face with his fist and frowns.

"See?! I knew you´d think I look weird!" He concludes without giving you a chance to speak. 

"Weird?", you sound almost offended. "You are beautiful, Levi."

Leviathan twitches, surprised. "B-Beautiful? W-Why would you say something like that?"

You click your tongue against your front teeth as your hand reaches for his wrist. You remove Levi´s hand from his face, and he looks at you with apprehension. 

"I know who you are, no matter how you look." You keep your smile and soften your expression for him. The Avatar of Envy stares back at you in silence, surprise and that deep blush still present. "You... You sure?"

"Of course!"

Leviathan mumbles something you can´t understand, but you don´t press the issue. He seems calmer after your reassurance. His eyes turn to look down at the water, his eyes catching the things you could not.

"We have to keep moving. It´s the only way to avoid being constantly attacked.", he informs as his eyes turn back to yours. Your expression is clear worry at his words. "How are we supposed to do that? I can´t hold my breath for long."

There´s silence between the two, but Leviathan seems to be considering the options.

"Well... There is one way.", he says, but seems to hesitate after you show interest. 

"What is it?"

"You´d have to... swear your loyalty to Hell´s navy. To me." Leviathan blushes again. "T-That way I can give you my blessing to roam the seas."

You don´t see how that´s a problem. Levi is one of your oldest friends in the Devildom, along with Mammon. Even if he was reluctant to let you in at first, the circumstances opened way for both of you to bond and find that middle ground. Your loyalty lies with him and his brothers, so you don´t think saying it out loud will change much of your circumstance.

You let Leviathan know you are willing. The third-born nods and explains the words you´re supposed to say to him and what the ritual consists of. When you are ready, he begins.  
The purple haired demon reaches for your face, so you close your eyes. He softly places his thumb and index fingers over your closed eyelids and speaks some words in a language you don´t understand. When he finishes, he asks, "Where do you belong?" You respond with the first of your lines.

"I belong here, under the waves."

A gentle pulse of energy exits Levi´s fingers and caresses your face. You don´t exactly feel different, but he´s not done. The demon moves his fingers, and you feel his thumb run down the bridge of your nose as he chants something else. 

"Who do you belong to?" Leviathan asks, and you can´t guess his emotions based on his voice alone.

"I belong to my Grand Admiral, The Leviathan." A small wave of heat forms on your cheeks. Another pulse of energy hits your face.

"I am your Grand Admiral, The Leviathan... and this is where you belong."

You know what´s coming, so you hold on to Levi´s shoulders as he pulls you closer. Just like a baptism, he brings you under the waters with him. As he instructed, this time you don´t take a breath before going in.

The water engulfs you as before, and you feel your hearing quiet down. Leviathan swims for the both of you, taking you in deeper as you wait for him to give you the order to open your eyes. When he does by squeezing your side, you prepare to see the consequences of your loyalty.

And, oh God, could you see.

What used to be complete darkness now looks as if the afternoon sun is right over the water´s surface. Everything around you bursts alive, combinations of violets, greens and blues reaching your surprised eyes. There´s marine flora and fauna living in harmony, undisturbed by your presence. It´s like you are part of their environment. You don´t focus on it too much, though, for you sight is drawn to the Avatar of Envy still in front of you. 

If he was beautiful before, he´s strikingly magnificent now. 

His eyes burn bright like the morning sun, and you are sure you wouldn´t be able to hold your gaze on them if it wasn´t because of his blessing. The iridescent scale-like lines on his skin are more noticeable now, and even his purple locks seem to glow while dancing over his head. It´s like if a glamour has been lifted, and you can now witness the real ruler of the seas. 

When you don´t do anything besides stare at him like an idiot, Leviathan frowns and calls your name.

"Breathe."

His voice sounds as clear as it sounds above water. Though you are impressed by this, the fact that you´ve been holding your breath for so long is more important. Shyly, you open your mouth. Leviathan watches intently as you take your first breath- or gulp of water. You expect to choke on it, and yet you don´t. Trying a second time doesn´t hurts at all. It feels just like if you were breathing air. Your surprise makes Levi laugh.

"Magic.", he says, and you can only laugh as well.

It takes a minute or two for you to get used to your underwater abilities. Once your brain catches on, Leviathan holds you by your waist; you respond by embracing his torso. The third-born then whips his tail like a snake, propelling you both through the waters. 

The underwater cave is almost like a labyrinth. There are passageways that often divide into two, sometimes three, tunnels. Other times there are undersized openings above you, but Leviathan ignores them. He doesn´t hesitates which way to go, explaining he´s been looking for a way out to the open sea since he got there. So far the efforts have been unsuccessful, sometimes returning him back where he came from. He´s managed to map the place, though, enough to feel comfortable exploring some more of it. 

You hold on to the third-born as he pushes through, and boy can he move. He may hate running as you´ve noticed before, but he´s an expert swimmer. His powerful tail parts the water behind him, covering distances so impressive you can barely map the place yourself. It´s like the water itself knows who roams it, separating as he passes by. Leviathan definitely belongs underwater, and you feel proud of him for having such excellent technique. 

The channel you´re currently in finishes as you enter a chamber hundreds of meters wide. Leviathan slows down as his snake eyes dart around the place. You take longer to perceive the different options of tunnels around you. There are about five of them, and you wonder if Leviathan knows which one is the best option. But the Avatar of Envy´s interest is somewhere else.

Or should you say, something else. 

Leviathan makes a full stop behind some rocks, asking you to remain quiet. A few seconds later, five creatures enter the chamber through one of the passageways. These monsters look more humanoid than the previous ones you´ve been facing. You´ve learned from your classes in the Devildom that the more humanoid a demon looks, the higher their rank is. According to that, these demons weren´t your average low-rank monster. 

You turn to Levi to read his expression. He´s expectant as he peeks at the demons from behind the rocks hiding you. Still, you catch concern across his face. The demons seem to be looking for intruders as they pass by. 

"Those demons are part of my navy...", Levi mutters as he keeps a watchful eye on their movements. It reminds you of what he told you when you first got there. "Why do you think they don´t follow your orders?"

The third-born shakes his head no and frowns. "They said something about...", he hesitates, sighing. You give him a moment to compose himself, but it seems like he doesn´t wants to finish that sentence. 

Eventually, you break the silence. "What did they say, Levi?"

Leviathan turns to look at you, a mixture of embarrassment and distress in his eyes. "They said I´m not their Grand Admiral anymore... Someone else took over!"

"What? Did they say why?"

"Not at all. After that they attacked me, so I killed them."

Levi returns his attention to the soldiers, who are almost at the other side of the chamber by now. You try to figure out what this means. With the other brothers the monsters were random, but Levi can recognize them. It´s suspicious, and you are sure it has something to do with the mission.

"It´s so not fair." Levi says his signature line, so you turn your attention to him again. "Lucifer never loses his command over Cerberus! Asmo´s scorpion is also super loyal! Even Satan´s summons stay under his control! So why can´t I do the same?"

"Levi..."

"I should´ve never accepted to lead Hell´s navy in the first place. I knew eventually they were gonna get tired of me, like everyone--!"

A low, guttural, aggressive sound interrupts Levi´s train of thought. The place rumbles at what sounds like the growl of a beast deep within the bowls of the cave. It´s definitely scary, and you can only assume that´s the new ruler the demons are talking about.

But that´s the least of your problems at the moment.

As the place shakes, the water exerts a new pressure that you can´t exactly resist. Leviathan grabs you by the arm and pulls you towards him before you´re separated by the erratic currents. You´re overwhelmed by the experience, but your ears still catch on to the rumbling of the rocky structures above you. The purple-haired demon notices as well, his eyes darting upwards. The cave is shaking and there´s sediment already making the water turbulent. Boulders are snapping from their foundations, and soon enough one of them is heading towards your hiding spot. 

Leviathan is quick to hold you in his arms and dart out of the way. The boulder looks even bigger as it falls where your two were just a moment ago. The crash sends new dust and sediment all over the place. It´s fast enough to mess with your vision, but Levi´s speed is enough to outrun- out swim?- it. 

"Whatever that was, we need to stay out of its way.", the third oldest says as he shakes his head. You are not sure that´s even an option, but you don´t comment on it for now.

"Well, well, well... If it isn´t our former admiral." 

A raspy voice makes you focus your attention on the dissipating sediment on your right. From behind the curtain of dust you can see those soldiers have noticed your presence. Levi hisses as a warning.

"You don´t have the power to keep us at bay anymore, Leviathan... Your reign is over." The creature a few meters from you snickers. "It was just a matter of time, after all. It´s not like you showed much promise for the long term." 

Leviathan hisses again, this time more viciously. His expression looks pained, though. You know the words are taking a toll on him.

"What was that sound?" You interject the conversation, trying to release Levi from some of the tension. The demon turns his eyes at you, along with the other four. "That was our new leader. His patience is running low. Soon he´ll destroy this place and all of us along with it!"

"What?!" 

The demons laugh at you. It´s like they didn´t even heard what they just said. Are they really willing to die just because their leader decided it?

"The word of our leader is law, for better or for worse."

Leviathan greets his teeth. "That is true... Demons are loyal to power, so if you´re the stronger among them, you can make crazy decisions like that."

"There´s no escape, anyway." Another one of the demons speaks. "When this is over, you two are dead."

Alright, so it´s pretty obvious you´re going to have to face that monster. 

"I mean... we can just kill them right now too." A third demon proposes. "We can have some fun now."

The rest of the monsters smile, looking at you. Leviathan instantly pushes you behind him. "None of that it´s going to happen. If fact, you are going to tell me where your so called leader is hiding."

The soldiers give the Avatar of Envy a confused look, but that confusion quickly turns into mocking laughter. "Please. Even if you defeat us, there´s no way you´ll be able to defeat our master. That´s what you´re thinking, isn´t it?"

Leviathan´s response happens in the burst of demonic aura around him. Apparently, he´s had enough, so he dashes towards the demons. The five of them prepare for battle. The Avatar of Envy´s sharp movements are too fast for two of them, though. Leviathan spins around and swings his tail with such violence the head of the first demon is obliterated. That same momentum brings his long tail towards the second demon. It whips the side of his face as well, and though it doesn´t breaks it, it´s still strong enough to snap his neck and kill him. The blood of the first corpse stains the water, spreading enough to block some of the scene happening in front of you.

The third-born stabilizes his position as the last three demons make a move. One of them attacks, sending its own burst of power towards the Avatar of Envy. Levi it´s aware of it. He swims straight towards the monster and shifts his angle in the last moment, missing the other´s hand. Now in front of it, Levi pushes his gloved hand into the demons gut. The sound of pain coming out of the enemy is scary, but Levi shows no mercy and twists his hand inside of it before pulling out. It´s gory, brutal, and a clear representation of Leviathan´s anger.

You can´t think much about it since one of the demons takes advantage of Levi´s distraction to dart towards you. There´s hunger in his eyes as he moves. Your eyes widen in surprise; you can barely see him moving. Lucky for you, the third oldest´s eyes are quicker. Leviathan extends his right hand towards you as the soldier approaches. You´re not sure how that helps, but then the enemy suddenly stops. You see the desperation in his eyes, as he tries to beat an invisible wall that crushes him. The water around him pushes on his body, and you cover your eyes just in time to evade the image of an imploding body. 

A curtain of blood covers your view of Leviathan, but your ears clearly catch a screeching sound that´s followed by pleads of mercy from the last soldier.

"Now tell me where is it.", Leviathan´s voice is husky, and the sound of it sends shivers down your spine. It sounds like he´s in between his demon form and something else.

"I´m not going to ask again....", the Avatar of Envy warns, and you can hear the soldier mutter more pleads. You don´t understand what he´s saying, but the fact that Leviathan is not hurting him lets you assume he´s obeying the order. After a couple of seconds, the third-born pushes the demon away, done with him.

"You know what you get for betraying your admiral, don´t you?"

The demon doesn´t responds, but as Levi turns around and swims towards you, the curtain of blood has dissipated enough for you to witness the soldier starting to drown. It´s seems that just as Leviathan can grant you the ability to breathe underwater, he can take it away. You gulp at the desperation in the demon´s face, but keep your eyes away from it. Instead you extend your arms as Levi approaches and embraces you. You hide your face on the curvature of his neck while he swims with you in his arms.

Leviathan enters one of the channels that lead out of the chamber. His body is tense as he tries to concentrate on the directions the soldier gave him. You´re not sure of what to say. At moments like these when Levi doubts himself, you usually have a pet talk and then distract him with an invitation to watch some anime or play a game. It helps with his mood, but this time there was no other choice than to face the situation. Just as your trying to figure out how to make him stop, he does so himself. You feel him release his hold on you, so you take the chance to look at him.

"It´s no use, MC." Leviathan says with a pained expression. "They are right, there´s no way I can defeat this thing, whatever it is."

You frown at Levi´s quick conclusion. "How are you so sure of that?"

"Because if I´ve been dethroned then they´re clearly more powerful than me."

Maybe not, maybe this is part of what Leviathan has to conquer. 

"You don´t know that, Levi. You´ll never know if you don´t try!", you argue. 

"I told you! I´m not like my brothers! I´m not all powerful like Lucifer, or super smart like Satan. Even stupid Mammon is better than me! I´m sure Lord Diavolo regrets he insisted on me taking this role. I know he thinks I´m just a reclusive good for nothing! A stupid otaku!" 

"Levi, you know that´s not true.", you insist. "None of your brothers are perfect. Lucifer just fucked up sending all of us here in the first place!" There´s realization on his face, and you know he hadn´t even thought of that. "Now you´re fighting for your lives while having to protect me! How do you think he feels about that? He can´t help any of his brothers... Don´t you think that´s eating him inside?"

Leviathan lowers his head, but says nothing. His bright eyes seem lost in thought. 

"Even so, I also know he trusts each and every one of you. He trusts you to come back save and sound... You can do it."

"I don´t know if I can!", he finally says, looking at you. 

"You did it once. Why can´t you do it again?"

The third-born shakes his head. "You don´t understand, MC! The first time I did it, we´d just fallen from grace. I was so angry and so full of..." Leviathan stops, embarrassment showing in his face. "... I was... full of confidence."

Your eyes soften when he admits what he lacks. Your heart aches for him, for the way he thinks to little of himself. It makes you sigh, but you are determined to get his mind out of that gutter. Gently, you cup his face with your hands, winning his instant attention. The way he blushes makes you smile. 

"Levi, you are still that demon... Your confidence you´ve lost along the way, but you are still as powerful, if not more, as you were that first time you took that challenge."

"MC..."

"I don´t want to die. In fact, the whole point of this is that I don´t die at all. You are part of that process, and I couldn´t be more glad. I want to be with you and your brothers until the end of days... Now, are you going to help me do that? Because I am sure you can, it´s just a matter of wanting to do it."

Leviathan´s blushing only increases between your fingers. "I... I want to. I want you to stay with us!"

You smile wider at his words. " I know... Let´s go."

The two of you continue on your way. Levi follows the soldier´s directions, though he still keeps an eye out for any traps. Although you´ve yet to find any, it´s impossible to relax. The growls of the beast interrupt the tranquility of the place over and over again, shaking the cave and sending falling rocks your way. Leviathan dodges them every time. The water also starts to feel warmer as the growls become louder. Whatever monster is waiting for you, it becomes more and more clear you are getting closer.

The intricate system of tunnels and caverns eventually lead you into another chamber. This one is even bigger than the last one. There´s no floor beneath you, but a chasm that extends into the infinite depts. The hole makes you feel insecure, like if it could suck you into an endless pit of darkness. 

"Everyone is here... Hell´s Navy", Leviathan speaks, making you take your eyes away from the abyss, though you can still feel its energy intimidating you. 

Leviathan stops his swimming to study your current situation. There are countless of demons sticking to the walls, as if waiting for something. Their eyes are on you, but they don´t look surprised or worried. Have they been expecting you? 

That guttural sound that shakes the cavern takes over the water once again, and this time it´s obvious it´s coming from the sinkhole beneath you. Leviathan holds you closer, his eyes glued to the infinite darkness. You can feel the adrenaline making your heart pump faster. 

The water warms up even more, almost to the point of discomfort. But you don´t say anything; your eyes just focus on the sudden light that appears between the darkness. It´s a pair of yellow beams that intensify second by second. The water vibrates as the beams move together. You already suspect what they are. 

The beams get bigger and bigger, closer and closer until they break through the darkness of the hole. They are attached to a whole draconic head. The creature of the deeps resembles a dragon exiting its nest. It´s got several rows of teeth in its mouth, a mouth that ends in a deeply hooked beak. Its massive head is protected by horns that point towards the back. Its body is covered in scales that point outward, making every inch of its body a skin shredder. Fin-like wings end in powerful claws, just like its four limbs and powerful tail. And the whole thing is just... so enormous. It doesn´t matter how powerful you think Levi is, the sight of this creature makes you shiver. 

The sea dragon exits the pit completely and takes a considerable amount of the chamber´s space. The soldiers cheer as the dragon turns around towards you and Levi, its gleaming eyes fixated on you small figures. The monster opens its mouth, and though it doesn´t moves any further, you can clearly hear its mocking voice. 

"Leviathan..."

The third oldest tenses more than before, but his eyes remain locked on the creature. 

"Have you come to reclaim your navy?" 

"Don´t over think it, Levi. Remember why we are here in the first place.", you whisper as retaliation, reaching out to give his hand a squeeze. He remains silent, put nods at you before making up his mind.

Leviathan whips his tail, darting at great speed towards the dragon. The navy roars in excitement at the Avatar of Envy´s decision to fight. Something tells you their eagerness has nothing to do with their former leader reclaiming them. They just want to see blood being spilled. 

Leviathan´s demonic aura spills around him, the waves of smoke covering him completely. There´s an outburst of energy that makes the earth shake, but this time it´s not the dragon releasing such power. You watch as the ball of energy that is Leviathan rapidly expands, blocking your view to the transformation happening behind it. There´s a roar coming from it, an ear-shattering roar that makes everyone cover their ears. Even the dragon shows discomfort. 

You close your eyes as the vibrations pass, but once you open them again you see the immense ball of energy breaking and releasing the beast inside. The monster´s eyes are blazing like the rays of dawn, and you can still see the familiar coral-like horns protruding out of his head. The head is also dragon-like- its mouth ringed with fearsome teeth- but its body is more like a serpent´s. 

The body is covered in black and purple scales that shine as he moves; and a double coat of armor envelopes the chest, somehow still offering enough flexibility to twist. There´s a constant row of spikes on its spine that continues all the way to the end of the tail, where they burst in all directions like a spiked maze. 

You are witnessing none other than the true Admiral of Hell´s Navy, The Leviathan. 

The chamber almost feels claustrophobic with the two beasts taking up the space. Dragon and snake circle each other as the crowd cheers, both beasts showing teeth and roaring in warning. The dragon is the first one to move forward, its opened jaw aiming at Leviathan´s body. The Avatar of Envy is quick to twist out of the way, going underneath the dragon and pushing his spines against the dragon´s chest. The monster jolts, but reaches for Leviathan as well, managing to scratch the side of his body. 

Leviathan roars in pain, curling to face the dragon. His throat glows with a blue light just before he expels a burst of energy that hits the dragon right on the face. The crowd yells in excitement as the dragon retreats, but Leviathan is in close pursuit. 

The two beasts are brutal with each other, not leaving space to strategize their attacks. They coil and turn and twist, their claws and teeth meeting over and over again. Scales and flesh are ripped, blood stains the water they roam as they move for another attack. The sight of it all is both perplexing and completely distressing. No potential winner is obvious, their power too similar. It´s a constant standoff that goes for minutes.

Suddenly, the dragon is quick enough to evade Leviathan´s tail and grab him with its four limbs. Nails dig into the third-born´s skin, and he roars in agony while trying to break free. The dragon leaves no opportunity for that, instead pining his face against the rocky wall. 

"Useless...", the dragon speaks as Leviathan moans in desperation. You can see it in his eyes, that spark of envy and self-loathing. 

"Levi!", you scream as loud as you can, "That´s not true! You are the real admiral, don´t let him tell you otherwise!" 

The dragon turns its head towards you, fire in its menacing gaze. "I _am_ the admiral now... And I don´t remember giving you the permission to breathe here."

You tense up in place, and Leviathan wiggles more aggressively without results. The dragon´s yellow eyes glow brighter. "But I can always take it away."

Your throat closes up and you gasp, covering it with one hand. The sensation of needing air returns to your body, and you open your eyes wide. Leviathan eyes reflect the fear running through your veins.

The Avatar of Envy violently moves, taking advantage of the dragon´s attention on you to free his neck. His throat glows blue again, and a second later a burst of energy is hitting the dragon scare on the face. The crowd screams in surprise as Leviathan frees himself even more and attacks the beast.

But the time is running out fast for you. Your chest tightens and you fight that urge to breathe that starts forming in your lungs. In full desperation you watch as Leviathan hits the dragon with his tail, managing a considerate wound on the monster´s chest. The dragon roars and responds with a charge of its own energy. Its throat glows orange and if mouth aims at Levi´s body. 

Leviathan opens his mouth as well, charging towards the dragon while its enemy releases the blast of energy. 

Just as it´s about to hit him, Levi ducks and avoids it. With that same impulse and taking advantage of the opening, the serpent sinks his teeth into the dragon´s neck.

The dragon whines and shakes, but Leviathan´s hold is merciless. With the last seconds of your conscience, you witness as Leviathan pulls back, taking scale and flesh with him in the process. An energetic explosion of blood spills from the fatal injury as the dragon falls back against the rocky wall. 

The demons scream in disbelief, but that´s the least of your worries. As fast as Leviathan was on killing the dragon, those were precious seconds for you. The urge to take a breath is stronger and stronger and there are no air pockets near.

Leviathan roars as he turns, his massive serpent-like body whipping towards your position. His amber eyes never leave you, and with a few tries his enormous head is a few feet from you. His bleeding body expels that familiar demonic aura, covering him completely in an instant. It takes a heartbeat for him to be back to his humanoid form. You hear your name spill from his lips, his arm reaching out to you.

That´s it, that´s the last second you can overcome your urge to breathe. You close your eyes, open your mouth and push the air in your lungs out before taking a breath.

The same moment you inhale, Leviathan´s hands hold your face, his opened mouth sealing yours. He swallows the water that sneaked into your mouths before exhaling into yours. 

The push of air surprises you, but your brain is too focused in survival to question it. Your fingers cling to his hoodie and you pull Levi closer. He whines, reminding you he´s injured, but that doesn´t impedes him from pulling you close as well. 

Your desperation settles and you breathe the precious seconds of air Levi gives you, opening your eyes only after he pulls away. The Avatar of Envy is furiously blushing, both his cheeks and ears turning purple in this bluish world. He mutters the same words he said to you when he first gave you his blessing, his fingers gently pressing against you lips.

His blessing takes effect in a heartbeat. You smile at the third-born as both your anxieties subside.

"Thank you... Levi.", you say as soon and you feel normal again.

Leviathan´s eyes furrow as he shakes his head no. "No... I convince myself all the time of how unlucky I am... But you... you make me feel like I can do more. Y-You m-make me feel like... like I am enough."

You watch him cover his flushed face with his fist, his eyes darting to the side. "So... thank you. I am grateful things are like they are... b-because they´ve let me here w-with you."

Your feel your heart squeeze inside your chest for him. There are a million things you wish you could tell Levi, but you know what you´ve done is enough when you feel that familiar warmth in your forearm. You take a moment to gaze at the symbol of Envy over its orange background.

"A-Anyway!", Levi continues, "What happened there wasn´t a real kiss! I-I was just trying to keep you alive!"

You grin at his attempt to make things clear. "You´re right, Levi. That wasn´t a proper kiss."

Before he can answer, you grab him by his hoodie and kiss him good this time. Leviathan tenses against your kiss, but you don´t pull away. Slowly but surely, your favorite otaku relaxes and finally reciprocates your affections. 

You didn´t think Leviathan could blush more than what he already is, but you´re proved wrong when you finally pull away. He´s a complete mess, and the sight is so endearing you´d kiss him again. But your attention is pulled away from him by the sound of the portal being forming behind him. 

Leviathan is still in shock because of the kiss, but he manages to compose himself enough to notice you´re looking over his shoulder. He turns around to see the portal that will take you away. 

You take this moment to inspect him, sure that his clothes hides the injures in his body. But he looks good in general.

"Are you going to be okay?", you ask, a more serious tone in your voice.

Leviathan looks at you before turning his eyes skywards. The dragon´s corpse is still leaning again some boulders, threatening to fall into the abyss it came from.

"Yeah... But you have to go. There´s some unfinished business I need to attend."

Leviathan´s lips twist into a smirk, his amber eyes shining with a new spark while he looks at the demons still accompanying in that chamber. You´ve completely forgotten about them, but seeing the look of determination on Levi´s face reassures you that The Grand Admiral of Hell´s Navy is back in control.

"Alright... We´ll talk about that kiss later then." You snicker.

Leviathan blushes for the hundredth time, but you swim and go through the portal before he can stammer a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep breaking my words-per-chapter record! I´m glad you guys don´t mind it one bit. 
> 
> Next chapter: The Fallen Warrior, Greed vs Selflessness
> 
> Stay safe, everyone!


	7. The Fallen Warrior: Greed vs Selflessness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are two more shadow monsters coming through the door, but it doesn´t affects Mammon´s determination. You watch as his demonic aura spills around him, his left hand in front of him. There are sparks coming out of it; the electric energy concentrates on his palm while the second-born takes a moment to look at you. 
> 
> "Behind me.", are the only words that exit his lips, his blue eyes filled with energy and purpose. You´ve never seen this look in his eyes, and yet you know it´s not the time to stop and admire it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Selflessness: concern more with the needs and wishes of others than with one´s own. 
> 
> I´m so sorry this took forever to upload!! The lockdown´s had a big effect on my mental health, so creativity was at a minimum. I just hope the waiting was worth it.

This time you fall feet first on a mountain of yellow stones. Your boots instantly slip on the uneven ground, so you twist yourself on instinct and fall on your back instead of your face. The shiny ground crumbles underneath you, forcing you to rapidly descend the mountain. You try to stop yourself, but there´s nothing to grab on to. 

The descend takes only a few seconds. It´s enough to make your heart race, but you remain uninjured by the end of the ride. Your hands, in an attempt to save yourself, are closed at your sides, and you realize you´ve taken something with you on your way down. Lifting your dominant hand, you take a look at the contents.

It´s a handful of golden coins. 

Surprised, you take a look at the ground supporting you. As you imagined, you are sitting on a mountain of golden coins, precious stones, weapons, and other shiny things. A quick look around reveals that´s not the only mountain of gold in the room. The immense space is filled with many of them, different heights and combinations of treasure contrasting with one another. 

Approaching footsteps can be heard on your left. You tense up and look for a place to hide, but before you can even get up to find such a place, you are found. 

A pair of blue and yellow eyes stare at you in surprise.

"MC?", The Avatar of Greed stops on his tracks while he carrying a gold bar on each of his hands. 

The relief is obvious on your face. After experiencing the events with the other brothers, you´ve learned danger is on every corner. Mammon places one golden bar over the other before offering you his free hand. "How did ya end up in here?"

You reach out for his hand, and Mammon lifts you up with a swift pull. It takes only two more seconds for you to compose yourself. You just came out of Leviathan´s world, and yet you found yourself completely dry. 

"I came through a portal.", you reply. The explanation sounds repetitive at this point, but you can´t blame the brothers for asking the same questions. After all, you´ve all been thrown into these spaces with little to no explanation. 

The Avatar of Greed is frowning when you are done updating him. "Monsters? Well, there are no monsters in this place. Just The Great Mammon and his treasure!" He sounds proud of himself as he gestures at the whole room. The lack of monsters is new and odd, so you take this opportunity to ask him where you are. 

"Ehh... Well, I´m not so sure about that." Mammon scratches the back of his head. "Didn´t bother askin´, really."

"Asking? Asking who?"

"Ah, there are some demons here with me! They were here before I arrived, and instantly they realized The Great Mammon is stronger than them, so they gave me all this treasure!"

You know that can´t be good, but the second-born is distracted by his so called possessions. He leaves the gold bars on the floor and beckons you to follow him. You do as he asks while taking a better look at your surroundings. The circular room is gigantic, has many doors side by side, and the walls extend all the way to the ceiling, creating a dome-like shape. Mammon is excitedly explaining the different contents of the treasure, estimating values and quantities, and honestly you´ve never seen him do math so passionately before. 

As you turn on a corner full of more money, you notice four men moving precious stones around. They look human, though the horns protruding from their heads let you know they are nothing of the sort. The moment they notice your presence, they quickly bow their heads. "Lord Mammon. We´re almost done with this section."

The second-born seems pleased as he looks at the organized area, but you keep your eyes on the demons. They turn to you as well, a sinister expression on their stares. It sends a shiver down your spine. One of them turns back to Mammon, that smile still plastered on his lips. 

"By the way, my lord... I think it´s time you complete your part of the deal."

Mammon is too preoccupied with his fortune to look at him, but still answers. "Ah, right. Whaddaya want then?"

You sigh. Of course Mammon went ahead and made a deal with these demons. "What are they talking about, Mammon?"

The presumptive leader turns to look at you. "Oh, it´s the only condition we had before we gave up all of our fortune. Lord Mammon has to give up one little thing in exchange of all this."

Mammon finally looks up from some coins he was inspecting after grabbing them from a nearby pile. "Right, right, but what is it?! You´re distractin´ The Great Mammon!"

The demon´s smirk only gets wider as he takes a step forward. "As stated before, all of this fortune is yours, but you have to give up this one thing we´ll ask of you. We have finally decided on that price."

Mammon folds his arms and waits, confirming in his expression that he has, in fact, agreed to this. The demon´s smile turns creepier when Mammon doesn´t resists.

The Avatar of Greed finally reacts when the demon says, "We would like you to give up that little human over there."

"The human?", Mammon lifts his hands in the air and shakes his head in disappointment. "I thought you were gonna ask for my soul or somethin´!"

"Mammon!", you pull on the second-born´s arm to get his attention. There´s adrenaline rushing through your veins at the realization that Mammon isn´t too worried they want you as exchange. "You´re even willing to give up your soul for this?"

"What? Doncha know how much money this is?! It´s a dream come true!", Mammon argues, which makes you feel a pang of pain inside your chest. Maybe you arrived too late, maybe Mammon is too far enamored with this idea to understand the need to fight it. 

"So we got a deal then?", the demon interrupts while looking smug. Your nervousness increases as you await Mammon´s response. The Avatar of Greed looks his way as his eyebrows raise in surprise.

"Pff... ahahahaha!" 

Both the demon and you are confused by Mammon´s reaction, but he is quick to clarify. "Like hell I´m givin´ ya my human. Get your own!"

The demon´s smug expression drops, being replaced by a more menacing look in his red eyes. "We had an agreement that we could choose whatever we wanted."

"Yeah? Well this one´s off limits, so you better think of somethin´ else... You sure you don´t want my soul?"

"Mammon!", you pull at his jacket again, though you feel relieved, and a little embarrassed, knowing Mammon wouldn´t give you up, not even for all this money.

"I don´t like being tricked, Mammon...", the demon warns as he snaps his fingers. The three demons accompanying him take a few steps forward, his hands emanating shadows that soon enough take the shape of swords. The swords materialize before your very eyes. 

Mammon keeps his ground, his expression shifting into a more serious one. "And I don´t like bein´ defied."

Before you can wonder how is Mammon going to defend himself, the Avatar of Greed removes the silver ring from his pinky finger and crushes it in his fist. A burst of dark energy escapes in between his closed fingers, also taking the shape of a sword that´s around six feet long. You´re sure the immense sword is meant to be carried by both hands, but Mammon easily holds it with one as he takes on a defensive stance. 

Two demons are the first ones to pounce towards you and Mammon. The second-born is fast to react, leaving little room of opportunity for your enemies. He horizontally swings his greatsword from left to right, shooting a burst of energy from the metal that´s fast enough to catch the demons off guard. The line of energy strikes both demons at the same time, pushing them back with remarkable force. It all happens so fast you´ve barely registered what just happened as Mammon moves again.

Mammon grabs you by the waist and extends his bat wings, pushing you up in the air with him with a powerful flap. Your arms surround his neck on instinct, and you watch as Mammon hastily covers the distance to one of the doors at the walls. As soon as your feet touch the floor, he urges you to open it and get inside. You follow his orders in a heartbeat. 

The corridor is about two hundred meters long. It´s completely straight, so it´s easy to spot the door at the end of it. Aware of the danger, you sprint towards it, Mammon right behind you.

"Do you know where we´re going?", you ask the Avatar of Greed as you make your escape.

"No idea. I never explored the place any further than the treasure room!" Mammon confesses. He seems to acknowledge the problem when he adds. "Doncha worry! You know I can protect ya!"

"That´s not what I´m worried about."

"Then what--?"

Mammon´s question is interrupted when the door behind you explodes. You look over your shoulder while you run; there are three demons entering the hallway and quickly flying towards you. Mammon is fast to stop his running and block the three of them with a clash of his sword against the first one. The start of the fight makes you stop on your tracks.

The Avatar of Greed clashes swords with one of the demons. To Mammon´s advantage, the hall is only wide enough to allow one fight at a time. 

You know you should keep running, but it´s also distracting watching the second oldest swing his sword around. His wrist is swift and his body moves so fluently it´s almost a dance. His feet lift from the floor to dodge or to correct his form after attacking, but you can barely hear them when they meet the floor again. Mammon is simply a natural, born for this kind of fight, and you can´t help but once again be impressed by how skillful these demon brothers are. 

The Avatar of Greed jumps back just in time to dodge the demon´s attack. In the same turn, he swings his greatsword from left to right. Another blast of energy bursts from the sword and sends all three demons all the way back to the start of the hall. Mammon finally relaxes his stance, turning towards you after making sure the enemies weren´t getting back up soon.

"What´re ya doing?! Keep runnin´!", he says after he notices you staring at him, mouth agape. Your expression must´ve caught him off guard, though, since there´s a hint of pink on his tan cheeks. 

You stop your staring and resume your running, Mammon following close behind. You reach the door a few meters later and open it, but the room revealed confuses both the second-born and you.

You´re back where you came from.

The treasure room´s new angle and the blown out door on the other side of it is evidence you came out from another door. How is that possible, you´re not sure. The hall was _straight_ , there´s simply no way a straight line away from the treasure room could lead you back to it, and yet here you are.

"What in all of Devildom?", Mammon exclaims as he gets in front of you. The leader of the demons appears from behind a mountain of gold, his red eyes intently watching the both of you.

"I told you. You have to respect your part of the deal. Either you give up the human, or you face the consequences of breaking the agreement."

Mammon clicks his tongue. "I already told ya! I´m not giving up anythin´! I don´t want your money anymore."

"Then why are you still here?", the demon tilts his head to the side, that smug smile once again painted on his lips. "You sure you didn´t want to see your treasure again?"

The second-born curses under his breath, but says nothing. Was the demon insinuating this door opened back to the treasure room because of Mammon´s wishes? 

"Give up the human.", the demon insists, a more threatening look on his face.

"Ya´re gonna have to take her from my dead hands.", Mammon responds just the same, his expression so serious it almost doesn´t looks like him. It makes your heart beat faster, both because of the danger it represents, and for how much he was willing to do for you. 

"Hm. So be it."

The demon snaps his fingers, and right on queue the shadows of the place start to shift. You watch as claws and hands and arms burst through them. In no time those limbs turn into monsters exiting the shadows, their red eyes locked on you and Mammon as their shadowy figures materialize in front of you. The second oldest curses again, and urges you to open the door to your left. You don´t waste a second and do as he says.

This hall is different. You scan the place as you start your run, instantly realizing there are many doors in this corridor. The muscles of your legs are starting to scream at you from all the effort you´ve done today, but this is not the time to think about it. Mammon is right behind you, his free hand against your back, pushing you to run faster.

"The moment those things attack, ya keep runnin´.", Mammon instructs as he looks over his shoulder. It takes one more heartbeat, and the door you came from is destroyed by the first of the many monsters approaching.

"Wait, Mammon! What did that demon mean, about you wanting to see the treasure again?"

"It means I´m still tryin´ to find a way to get ya out of here so that I can later take the money!", Mammon confesses. You´re about to protest, but that´s the moment the first creature reaches you. The Avatar of Greed reminds you to keep running as he stops. "Find the real exit!", he screams as his sword clashes with the monster´s claws.

You are reluctant to continue. "Mammon, that´s not how it--!"

"MC, GO!", Mammon urges you as he resists the monster´s claws. "I won´t forgive myself if you get hurt again!"

You gasp at his words, your chest tightening as the memories flood your mind. Even when he´s tempted by his own domain, Mammon´s priority is keeping you safe. He hasn´t forgotten about the time you died in his arms, and you failed to ever wonder the effect this had on him. 

It seems that you need to find the exit before helping Mammon conquer his domain. That is, if finding the exit first is even possible. 

You resume your running, reaching for the first door in the hall, which is on the left. You quickly open it and peek through, but the same treasure room greets you. Shadow monsters are in the space, but unaware of your presence. So, you close the door and continue on to the next one. 

You repeat the action a couple more times, each of them yielding the same result. There are only two more doors, so you take the door on the right and open it. It´s that treasure room again, and by then you are convinced you won´t find the real exit if Mammon doesn´t changes his mind. 

There´s something taking your attention now, though. This time, the shadow monsters are looking right at you as you open the door. Three of them roar and pounce at the door, and you scream as you back away.

The door is ripped from its hinges and the first monster goes through. Its huge claws tries to grab you, but you hear Mammon yell your name, followed by a sudden a burst of lighting that makes you see white. A sound similar to thunder reaches your ears, along with the cry of pain from the monster in front of you. 

Before you can even understand what´s going on, you feel a strong arm surround you. You recognize Mammon is the one grabbing you, so you hold on to him as the second-born spreads his wings and jumps into the air.

What neither of you expect is for another monster to come through the door just in time to grab onto one of Mammon´s bat wings. 

Mammon screams in agony when the monster´s claws injure his wing, and instantly he loses control of his flying. Fortunately you were just starting to take flight, so the hit isn´t horrible even if you fall on your back, Mammon on top of you. Both of you let out a grunt as you impact the floor. 

The monster´s roar makes you snap out of it and open your eyes. The first thing you see is Mammon´s left wing bleeding and twitching, the pain he´s feeling plastered on his face. 

And yet, despite that pain, there´s a new spark in those blue and yellow eyes. A spark of violence.

The Avatar of Greed moves from over you, grabbing his claymore and swinging it as his torso twists around. He uses the momentum to cut the creature´s upcoming hand, taking off the whole arm as easily as a knife cuts through butter. The monster stumbles back in distress as Mammon finishes getting up. 

There are two more shadow monsters coming through the door, but it doesn´t affects Mammon´s determination. You watch as his demonic aura spills around him, his left hand in front of him. There are sparks coming out of it; the electric energy concentrates on his palm while the second-born takes a moment to look at you. 

"Behind me.", are the only words that exit his lips, his blue eyes filled with energy and purpose. You´ve never seen this look in his eyes, and yet you know it´s not the time to stop and admire it. Instead, you scrabble to your feet and stay behind the Avatar of Greed.

Once he has you secured, Mammon turns back to his enemies just in time as they attack. You feel the air in the hall turn heavy, a force pulling on your body, making you feel uncomfortable. The creatures seem to notice as well, stopping for a moment. 

That´s enough time for Mammon´s energy to explode.

You flinch as the walls around you crack under the invisible pressure, the floor under Mammon doing just the same. The energy on his hand turns dark in a heartbeat, and you get the glimpse of a black sphere swirling over his hand before the Avatar of Greed extends it at his enemies.

The force intensifies and lifts the monsters from their standing spots. They fight the force, but Mammon´s arm is steady as he commands that dark sphere. Faster than you´re willing to admit, the monsters scream in desperation as they are pulled towards Mammon, their bodies weirdly contorting. There´s the sound of broken bones and the distortion of their limbs as the sphere grows, ready to swallow them whole. Before your very eyes, the monsters reach the violent power of the sphere, being turned into unrecognizable pieces as they are absorbed by the energy. 

The hall also starts to give in to this power. The ceiling is the first thing being ripped from its foundations, huge chunks of it collapsing in front of Mammon and blocking the hole where the door once was.

"Mammon!", you scream for the Avatar of Greed, who apparently didn´t register the monsters are gone. 

You see his body twitch in realization. His left hand retracts, and the sphere obeys its master as it slowly disintegrates. That finally gets rid of the rumbling happening around you, and the pressure you´ve been feeling inside your chest. 

"Are ya okay?", Mammon pauses, considering something unknown to you, but then he finally approaches you. 

You are quick to embrace him and rest your head against his chest. Mammon surrounds you with his free arm, his busy hand still holding onto his greatsword. "I am... thank you."

There´s an odd tension in Mammon´s posture as you hold on to him, and that´s taking into consideration this guy is a total tsundere. But this time it feels different, like his mind is somewhere else. It makes you forget about the comfort you feel when you´re in his arms. Instead, you push yourself back a little so you can look into his eyes.

"Are you okay?", you ask the Avatar of Greed, your eyebrows furrowing with worry. 

Your expression seems to strike something within him. His tanned cheeks burn pink as he avoids your eyes. "O-Of course I´m okay! I was just worried about ya! Y-You´re the weak human that needs protection here!"

There it is, the Mammon you know and love. Relaxing on his embrace, you rest your head against his chest again. "That´s okay, I´m safe because The Great Mammon is here with me. Right?" 

Your teasing makes Mammon´s breath hitch. "O-Of course... I´ll always protect ya..." You can´t help but smile at his words.

You are fine with just this, but a few seconds later Mammon seems to relax as well as he rests his face on your head, his lips pressing a soft kiss on the top of it. You automatically blush at his warm gesture and sigh. 

"A-Anyway...", Mammon breaks the silence after a few seconds, bringing you back to reality, "I really gotta get ya out of here."

The two of you pull away, and you turn to look at the remaining door that´s yet to be opened. Mammon seems to read your thoughts and says, "We have to find the right door, though. Otherwise we´ll keep runnin´ in circles."

You turn towards Mammon again. "I don´t think that´s the problem. The problem is that you still want to take the money with you."

Mammon crosses his arms in protest at your words, his right hand still holding that greatsword like it was a toy instead of a two-handed weapon. "I already said I would rather keep ya safe than have the money."

You hesitate to argue, but you have to ask. "Yes, but do you mean it?" 

"Of course I mean it!", Mammon argues, looking offended. You feel bad you have to make sure. You don´t exactly doubt him, but if the portal is not opening up, then something´s lacking. 

You cross your own arms in thought, trying to decipher what you might be missing... and eventually it hits you.

"Mammon...", you frown, and the Avatar of Greed arches an eyebrow. "Don´t tell me you... _stole_ something from the treasure room."

Mammon tenses in place, but keeps his ground. "Now what are ya trying to--?!"

"MAMMON!"

"YIKES!" The Avatar of Greed flinches at the sound of your stern voice, but then deflates on the spot. "Fineeeee! Here it is!"

He reaches the inside of his pocket, fumbling for a moment before taking out a single golden coin. You sigh at the sight of it; now it all makes sense. "Just a coin?"

"In my defense, I was just tryin´ to teach him a lesson! Nobody defies The Great Mammon!", he explains.

"Technically, you´re the one defying him. You want both me and his money.", you insist. Mammon huffs and mumbles something you can´t understand. Still, you don´t press the issue. 

"We have to return the coin. Maybe after that the deal will be nullified and the portal will appear.", you explain. Mammon just nods, moving towards the last door of that corridor. "Alright. Stay behind me then, in case those monsters try anythin´ again."

You agree and stay behind the second-born as he approaches the door and gently opens it. He peeks inside the room for a moment, but then sticks his head further inside. "Huh? There´s nobody here."

You frown at the announcement. "What do you mean nobody? Is that the treasure room?"

You try to peek inside as well, so Mammon opens the door wide. You can see it´s the same treasure room you´ve been before, just from another angle. Oddly enough, there are no monsters nor demons.

Mammon enters the room first to give a better inspection. You stay at the door´s arch, still feeling unconvinced by all of this.

"Do ya think they went through different doors lookin´ for us?", Mammon asks as he goes around a pile of coins and precious stones. "If that´s the case, then you need to hurry up."

The Avatar of Greed nods and holds the coin in front of him. "Well, here goes nothin´, I guess."

Just as he´s about to throw that coin onto the pile, you feel an invisible force push you, closing the door behind you once you´re inside the room. Your yelp of surprise returns Mammon´s attention towards you, so both of you notice how all the doors in the room progressively are covered by darkness and then disappear. 

"C´mere, MC!", Mammon hurries you as he extends his hand towards you. The room is getting dimmer and dimmer by the second, but you are able to sprint towards Mammon and hold his hand before you are engulfed in complete darkness. 

The adrenaline is once again making your heart beat like a drum, but you try to remain as calm as possible. The Avatar of Greed firmly holds your hand, and you find solace on his touch. It´s the only thing keeping you from giving in to the panic that tries bubbling to the surface. 

You expectantly wait a few seconds for something to occur, though it honestly feels like a lot more. Eventually it happens. Slowly, but surely, some light returns to the room as a gigantic mass of darkness agglomerates on the ceiling. The mass pulsates and moves as it grows, and you quickly realize this behavior is very similar to how those shadow monsters were created.

A shadow beast materializes in from of you. Three arms are protruding from each of its sides at the same time powerful hind legs form. Its red eyes are the last thing to form, right after its hideous face and its own rows of pointy teeth. 

The monster locks its eyes on your position, its face contorting into rage when it recognizes you.

"I told you...", the monster speaks in a low, raspy voice. "You can only pick one."

Mammon curses under his breath as soon as he realizes the same as you: this monster is none other than the demon Mammon made a deal with.

The beast furiously roars and extends one of its arms towards you. At first glance it looks like it would never reach you, but then the arm rapidly elongates, its attack determined to crush you like a bug. 

The second-born is quick to react. His arm surrounds your waist as he jumps and flies to the side, evading the attack. You´re barely able to dodge it, and you´re reminded of Mammon´s injured wing when the flying limb twitches and he grunts in discomfort. 

You want to say something about it, but a second hand is coming right towards you. Mammon not so gracefully evades it as well, though this time it´s a closer call than the first one. When the third one comes, you recognize it´s impossible to move in time.

Mammon seems to comprehend this as well, so he abandons the idea of escaping and instead buries his sword in the stone floor before pointing at the monster with his now free hand. You witness his demonic aura explode around him and his right arm fill with spirals of electric currents. The energy surrounds Mammon´s arm for just a second before being expelled towards the monster in the form of lighting. The charge then strikes, and you hear the thunder crack at the moment of impact, even through your covered ears. 

The electric shock makes the beast squirm in pain and lose its hold on the ceiling. The ground rumbles as the monster hits the floor, but it´s nothing you can´t take.

"What was _that_?!", you ask Mammon as you recover from the blast and he retrieves his sword.

"It´s the result of absorbing the monsters´ energies back in the hallway. Pretty impressive, huh?"

"That was incredible.", you admit, catching the white-haired demon by surprise. His cheeks burn red again, and he looks back at the creature in what you assume is an attempt to deviate your attention. 

It could also be because the beast is getting up. Its massive shape takes a huge portion of the room, and its eyes don´t take too long to find you again. Now more pissed than before, the creature roars and prepares to attack. 

"Stay here, MC. I´ll deal with this.", Mammon says as he extends his bat wings, preparing to take flight.

"But your wing is injured..." 

You frown worriedly when he insists. "It´ll be fine! Trust The Great Mammon!"

Mammon quickly takes flight, winning the beast´s attention. The monster follows him, attempting to catch the demon in midair, but the Avatar of Greed can still move fast enough to dodge in time. Mammon dodges a second time by flying under a moving arm before attempting an attack of his own. He waits for the monster´s next attack to move to the side, swinging his sword and amputating the limb with a clean strike. The beast pulls back in pain, and Mammon extends his other hand, creating that black spiral of power he also made back inside the hallway. As he pulls the fallen arm towards him, destroys it and absorbs it, you understand how Mammon converts his enemies´ energy into his own.

The monster tries again to hit Mammon, and this time it´s a close call. The Avatar of Greed relaxes his wings and drops down a few meters in the air, landing on another arm. 

Before the beast can swat him away, Mammon cuts that arm too. You anticipate the monster´s screech as it pulls away, and Mammon repeats his action of absorbing the arm with his dark energy. 

By the third time this is happening you´ve realize why Mammon, despite his wing injury, is still the one at an advantage. The beast is trying to switch its attention between Mammon and something else. You notice as its legs are dragging treasure behind him, hiding it between itself and the wall. It´s confusing behavior, but you´re not sure if interrupting Mammon´s fighting to make him aware is necessary.

Mammon cuts the third arm and dodges another attack before realizing himself what´s going on. "Oi! You stupid beast! What´re ya doin´?!"

The monster glares at the demon and tries to grab him with one of his arms. Mammon dodges confidently and looks for a blind spot on one of the armless spots, but fails to see the arm growing again from a burst of shadow power. You scream at Mammon to watch out, but it´s too late. The other arms have also grown back, and the monster´s grip on the Avatar of Greed is firm.

Mammon screams in pain and drops his greatsword when the monster presses too hard. It´s a dire situation, and your brain tries to decipher a way to help him. As you look around the room, you are once again distracted by the fact this creature is hoarding as much treasure as it can behind itself. You can´t really come up for any reason for this, none other than the idea this monster is obsessed with the fortune. 

"Mammon!", you scream after you hear him complain again. "The treasure! Absorb the treasure!"

The Avatar of Greed nods, though you can clearly see how hard it´s to concentrate while resisting the force of the monster´s enormous fist. Lifting his only free arm, Mammon calls for that black energy once again. 

You feel the heaviness in the atmosphere as the energy concentrates on Mammon´s hand, so you instinctively brace for things to start flying everywhere. 

To your surprise, the black ball of energy exponentially increases, and all the items in the room start to tremble as gravity starts to destabilize. 

The creature notices when the precious stones and golden bars and coins are lifted from the floor, spiraling around the mass of energy before hitting it. The impact creates a ring of bright energy around the black force as it pulls every object towards it. You can feel its tremendous power from where you stand, its influence trying to pull you towards it as well. 

It´s with this image of light and darkness enclosed in a circle that you confirm what you were suspecting until now. It´s when you understand the Avatar of Greed´s incredible ability: the one that lets him create the greediest of all forces.

Black holes.

The energy grows again, to the extend Mammon´s hand looks minute under it. The Avatar of Greed uses the monster´s distraction to close his hand into a fist, detaching himself from the energy. As the beast realizes all of this is Mammon´s doing, the demon finishes it by placing his hand over the monster´s skin and discharging a lighting strike.

This time, both Mammon and the monster are electrocuted. 

The beast lets go of the white-haired demon, and Mammon is too stunned by his own attack to lessen his fall until the very last second. You see him expand his wings and brake just enough of his fall before hitting the floor. 

"Mammon!", you scream and run towards him, but he signals for you to stop with the palm of his hand.

"Stay right there!", he screams back, making you halt your running.

You are distracted when the black hole expands again, its force increasing with it. More treasure is lifted from the floor, and for a moment you feel like you´re about to go flying away as well.

When your eyes dart back towards Mammon, he´s already retrieved his greatsword and is sprinting towards you. His body language is full of pain and discomfort, but even so he pushes through and reaches you.

"Watch out!", Mammon yells and pushes you to the ground. 

You land on your butt, and the demon kneels in front of you with this sword sheathed on the stone floor as a wave of golden bricks go over your head. 

The beast roars as its treasure is stolen by the black hole. By now it seems to understand everything it´s Mammon´s fault. You and the Avatar of Greed meet in a hug while he keeps you both in place by holding onto his sword. 

Another roar catches your attention. By this time there´s almost to treasure left, the black hole in the middle of the room strong enough to suck it all in a minute or two. But the beast locks eyes on you, a new determination forming on its red eyes.

Even though the monster is closer to the black hole, its powerful claws keep it from flying away. You watch as the creature crawls on the floor towards you, its claws leaving holes on the stone underneath it. 

It seems to be determined in reaching you, and the thought of it unnerves you.

"It´s not slowing down!" You hold onto the Avatar of Greed with all of your strength, for the wind is too strong for you. If you let go, you´d be blown away.

The black hole expands one more time, halting the monster´s progress. But it only takes a second before it keeps crawling towards you. Mammon curses when he realizes the thing is not going to stop, at least not by itself. 

"Give it to meeee!!", the monster roars as it gets closer and closer, its resolve unbreakable. 

It makes your chest tighten and your heart ache. 

Why wasn´t the monster backing away? Why wasn´t this over yet? Was Mammon´s greed too strong for him to actually change his mind? He was doing everything to protect you, and yet the lack of results made you doubt his actions were completely selfless. Something was wrong, Mammon was hiding something and you couldn´t tell what.

You turn to look at Mammon, wanting to ask him what was going on, but stop when he seems like he´s just recognized the problem. "Of fucking curse..."

He locks his legs with yours before letting go of your waist, and instantly you feel the pull of the black hole increase on your body. It makes you realize how much Mammon is actually helping you to hold on, but you say nothing while you wait for him to fumble with his pocket. It reminds you of the existence that single golden coin he´s still carrying around.

"This what you want?!" Mammon yells at the monster as he shows the coin between his fingers. The response is obvious; the beast desperately tries to reach for that single coin, the last of its fortune.

"Then go get it!!"

You watch the Avatar of Greed throw the coin high up in the air before holding you again. 

The coin is instantly dragged by the pull of the black hole, flying towards it at great speed. It flies right above the beast´s head, and you see how it erects from the floor to try and reach the golden piece. It´s its greatest mistake, since losing its grip on the floor makes it impossible to resist the black hole´s pull.

The monster´s end is imminent. 

You can´t tell what´s going on anymore. The wind is too strong for you to keep your eyes open, and your ears hurt from the strain the black hole´s storm it´s putting on them. The only thing in your mind is Mammon´s embrace and his voice in your ear telling you to hold on to him. Instantly you regret doubting his intentions. 

But you do trust him, even if you hear the whole place crumbling apart, even if the floor underneath you cracks and falters. You trust him even if your heart can´t beat any faster and your brain screams this is your end as well.

You hold on to Mammon and everything that he is, waiting for it to be over.

And you don´t know how long that takes. You´re not sure, and honestly you don´t care. But eventually, finally, silence greets you.

Both of your bodies suddenly hit the ground as the force the black hole exerted on you disappears. You are intertwined with each other and limp, your ragged breaths evidence of the amount of energy escaping the black hole took. As your mind revolves around the realization that you are finally save, you take a second more before finally opening your eyes.

Blue and yellow meets your gaze, making you aware of how close Mammon´s face is to yours. He looks disheveled and tired, but his eyes are fixated on you like if you´re the only thing keeping him sane. His intensity makes you blush, but there´s regret in your heart for doubting him. You never doubted any of his brothers, so why did you falter in believing Mammon was going to save you too?

Maybe everything was getting to you, maybe this was all too much for your human heart. Maybe it was not about Mammon, but about that thought in the back of your head that making them do this for you was too much to ask. They didn´t ask to be here, you never expected having to make them work for your immortality. Book or not, every monster you faced seemed real to you, every injury all of you endured felt real. 

Their efforts and your gratitude were real.

"O-Oi!", Mammon calls your name when you start tearing up. "Are ya okay?! Where does it hurt?!"

His sweetness and concern makes it all worse for you, but you try to hold it together as you shake your head no.

"I´m sorry, Mammon... For a moment there I thought... I thought you couldn´t let go of the treasure and-"

"Stupid human!" Mammon interrupts you. There´s a mixture of hurt and annoyance in his eyes, and you can´t decide which one of them makes you feel worse.

"Of course I was goin´ to choose ya! You thought I was goin´ to let ya die?"

You shake your head no, but Mammon is not done. "Last time... last time I couldn´t do anything... You died in my arms!"

There´s a look of regret in his beautiful eyes as he says those words. It almost keeps you mute, but you need to let him know you don´t hold that against him.  
"Mammon, it´s okay..."

"No! I let ya die once... I´m still trying to forgive myself for that... I know next time I won´t be so lucky and get you back... That´s why..."

Mammon´s eyes start to tear up, and the emotion they hold make you break as well. He´s just staring at you longingly and fearfully, and there´s nothing he could say that could add to what his eyes are screaming.

And yet, he says one more thing.

"I don´t want to lose you again... Not now, not ever. Not for all the money in the world!"

You react by instinct. At this point there was nothing else to do besides holding him and kissing him, so you do as your heart tells you. The Avatar of Greed doesn´t expects this reaction from you, it´s evident on the way his body tenses, but he´s very quick to reciprocate your affections.

"D-Doncha... ever doubt The Great Mammon again...", it´s the only thing that spills out of Mammon´s lips after you pull away. His arms surround you, and you enjoy the tight embrace he gives as you silently nod, a smile plastered on your lips.

The sound of the opening portal distracts both of you. It´s there that you become conscious of the warmth you felt on your arm as you kissed Mammon. The symbol of Greed over a yellow background is tattooed on your skin as proof that, once again, the demon brothers were willing to negate even themselves if it meant keeping you close. 

The sight of his symbol on your forearm makes your heart soar. 

"Only Lucifer remains then?", Mammon asks as he looks at your arm, his eyes studying all the symbols on it.

You nod and get up from the ground. It´s now that you take a better look at your surroundings. Ruins are what´s left of the once circular room. Light filters through the gaps in the walls, and the exterior is just a grass plain without danger in sight.

You sigh at the peaceful moment, but your body gives you little time to enjoy it. You´re exhausted at this point, and you aren´t that confident you can take another intense battle like the one you just witnessed. 

Still, it´s your responsibility to reach Lucifer as well. He must be waiting for you.

"I´m going to go now.", you announce while Mammon gets up from the floor, his eyes on the portal.

"Fine, but just so we´re clear, that´s only ´cause I´m allowin´ ya to go!", he proudly says as he grabs his sword and turns it back into the ring finger he always wears around his pinky.

Mammon´s need to look tough after the sweet moment you two just had is obvious, so you aren´t bothered by his antics. Instead you smile at him at wave goodbye before you go through that portal one last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As we approach the end of this story, I want to let you all know how grateful I am you´ve joined me in this adventure. I never thought this action theme was going to get so famous around here.
> 
> I hope I was able to make you as happy as your comments and kudos make me.
> 
> Next Chapter: The Morning Star, Pride vs Humbleness 
> 
> I hope to see you soon! :)


	8. The Morning Star, Pride vs Humbleness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Finally, you´re here."
> 
> Lucifer´s deep voice startles you, and you turn around to find him standing a few feet away from you. The black of his wings and clothes is a massive contrast with everything else. It´s like the place wants to make a point of how little he belongs here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Humbleness: it refers to having or showing a modest or low estimate of one´s own importance.

You´ve already grown accustomed to the push of the portal. Still, the momentum it leaves you with proves to be too much for your tired body. You fall on your hands and knees the moment your feet touch the floor.

It´s hard to determine where you are exactly. The moment you enter this place, your eyes feel the strain of the blinding light surrounding you. You cover your eyes with your dominant hand, giving yourself a break to grow used to the intensity.

It takes a while to see anything, but you try to look through the space between your fingers.

Everything is so... white. 

It´s a empty room with white curtains and golden borders, white walls, white floor, and white ceiling. The light appears to come from everywhere, and you can´t determine a specific light source. It seems like the whole room is glowing on its own.

The space is empty and silent, and there is nothing in particular to focus your attention on.

Nothing except the huge white and golden throne a few feet from you. 

It takes about a minute until you´re able to remove your hand from your face. It´s when you can really see this grand throne in front of you. Its structure seems to be made out of pure gold, while the cushioned seat and armrests portray smoke white and golden marbled patterns. The crest rail is shaped like a crown with wings protruding from each side.

You wonder who this throne belongs to, if there´s someone around to sit on it. You wonder where Lucifer is, if this reminds him of something, of _someone_ , he wishes to forget.

The sight of it makes you feel... lonely. 

"Finally, you´re here."

Lucifer´s deep voice startles you, and you turn around to find him standing a few feet away from you. The black of his wings and clothes is a massive contrast with everything else. It´s like the place wants to make a point of how little he belongs here. 

"Lucifer..." You get up from your kneeling position and finish turning towards him. He seems physically unharmed, and yet there´s a look in his eyes that you can´t shake. Through his default serious expression, he appears hurt somehow.

"What´s going on? Where are we?"

The Avatar of Pride sighs and walks a few steps towards you. His eyes stay on the throne as he answers your question.

"I appears this is a representation of a past time of mine.", he simply explains. Knowing him well, you don´t expect many details. Unless Lucifer was lecturing you or any of his brothers, he´s always been a demon of a few words. Still, you can deduce enough by his slightly annoyed expression.

Your lack of response seems to get his attention. Lucifer turns to you as his arms fold, and you notice that hint of gentleness in his gaze he shows when the two of you are alone. It always makes your heart beat faster. "More importantly... How are you?"

"I´m okay..." You hesitate, but you know the conversation is inevitable. After all, Lucifer was the one who got all of you here in the first place. "I´ve already met with all of your brothers. They´re all okay as well."

"That explains why you´re wearing Asmo´s shirt." Lucifer comments, and for a moment it sounds snarky. You´re about to defend Asmo when you notice Lucifer sigh and relaxing, which is evident in the way his shoulders lose some of the tension they were caring. "I´m so glad they´re well."

His confession and his obvious expression of relief somewhat surprises you, but the feeling is short lived. Now that he knows his brothers are alright, something else seems to prioritize itself inside his mind. "If that is the case, then I assume you already know what I was trying to do."

You nod. "Beel told me you and Satan were looking for ways to make me immortal... So that´s why we´re here."

You pause before adding. "I was the only one who didn´t know about it, though."

"I simply didn´t wish to give you false hope without finding a way first." Lucifer answers matter-of-factly. You nod in understanding, yet there´s tension in the room. Was there something else he wanted to say?

Your eyes turn back to the throne in front of you, wondering if you have to do something about it. The firstborn notices your staring and shakes his head no. "Whatever you´re thinking is not going to work. There´s a force field surrounding that throne. We can´t touch it."

So Lucifer already tried touching it, maybe even sitting on it. Your eyes move from him and back to the throne. Somehow you feel attracted to it, so you take a few steps towards the seat. The Avatar of Pride´s gaze is staring at you intently, you can see it from the corner of your eye, as you approach that thing he can´t.

"MC...", he warns, but you continue your way and extend your hand. Nothing stops you, so it takes one more second before the tips of your fingers finally reach one of the armrests. A heartbeat later, your hand is feeling the smooth texture of the cushion, and the coldness of the metal. 

There´s silence between the two of you. It makes you hesitate, but eventually you turn towards Lucifer, you hand still resting on the armrest. 

His eyes are on fire. You can see the red gradient intensify as he stares at you in surprise. He doesn´t even appears to be breathing. Lucifer is just staring at you like you´ve just insulted him and everything he holds dear, and you´re not sure what to think of that besides the obvious worry he might be mad at you.

You hold your breath, tense on the spot. The Avatar of Pride´s gaze shifts as he catches your dithering, but the edge is still not removed from his eyes.

A few heartbeats later, he finally releases a long, tired sigh.

You breathe again the moment he does.

"Of course you can do that...", Lucifer comments as he looks at you again. "See if you can sit down."

You nod and move to sit down on the throne. The seat offers no resistance, so you take your place on it like if it was any other sitting place.

Lucifer´s eyes are still scrutinizing each and every one of your movements, as minuscule as they may be. He seems to be lost in thought, so the edge of his staring is not directed at you anymore. It relaxes you, though you remain expectant of what he will say next. After all, this is his dimension and, whatever this is, it´s part of his domain. 

Finally, he speaks.

"It should´ve know this was going to happen."

You don´t say a word, giving him time to explain himself.

"You see... When I started searching for a way to make you immortal, I was completely sure I was going to be the first one to come up with a solution. Yes, Satan has outstanding researching skills, but I had one advantage. Thanks to Diavolo I have access to some ancient, forbidden books most demons don´t."

"So even Lord Diavolo knows about this?"

Lucifer nods, and you feel your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. As lovely as the prince of all demons is, letting him know your greatest desire seems like sharing too much information. 

"As soon as I found this book I wanted to discuss it with you.", he explains, "I wanted to be the one to give you this opportunity because..."

The Avatar of Pride pauses. 

"... Because I was sure I was the only one capable of doing it perfectly without endangering you."

Lucifer´s frustration is evident as he burrows his brows and shakes his head, maybe more to himself than to you. "Of course, everything went wrong when I read that chant out loud. The book wasn´t supposed to activate until you were ready... But apparently you already were."

You´re surprised by his words and by what they mean. As excited as you are about the possibility to become immortal, you still worried it was going to be too much to take. Apparently, you´ve already taken that decision without realizing it, and the thought of it both thrills and scares you.

"So... the book activated because I unconsciously knew what I wanted?" 

Lucifer nods.

"I knew there was trouble when the book started expelling energy and the portal appeared, what I wasn´t expecting was for all my brothers to be included as well."

You frown and Lucifer sighs. "You sure care a lot about all of us, don´t you?"

The question makes you blush, and you remember the adventures you´ve shared with all of the brothers today. It was obvious at this point there was a lot more than intimate friendship blossoming between them and yourself. Lucifer reads your silence and the heat on your face. 

"I have to admit I didn´t see that one coming... but I guess it makes sense."

There it is again, that hint of hurt in his eyes that lasts a split second before he continues. "Anyway, after I realized all eight of us were here and the trials began, I came to the realization of one more thing."

"What was that?", you ask, even though you suspect he´s going to tell you anyway. 

"That I was left for last.", Lucifer answers sourly. "That I was set to stay here and wait for you to come, but not before meeting all of my brothers."

Lucifer´s hurt pride is unmistakable. "That I was set to stare at that throne, the reminder that there are things not even I can do."

Your heart aches at the firstborn´s aggravation. It´s plain to see the situation has stressed him enough to put him in this state, vulnerable enough to admit to these things he´s feeling. 

"I am once again reminded I can have many things... but never the things I want the most."

The Avatar of Pride´s eyes flare, but you can see right through the angry facade. The fallout with his father, their banning from the Celestial Realm, the loss of a sister, freeing himself from a leash just to be held by another... All of these events have shaped Lucifer and his brothers, but Lucifer seems to be drowning in resentment and regrets. Was that why he always needed to be in control? Maybe he thought that if he held as much control as he could then neither of them would suffer as much as they´ve already suffered. 

If that´s his purpose all along, then it´s a very lonely role the one he´s playing.

The silence between you stretches. Lucifer admitted everything he´s going to admit, so now it´s your turn to say something, anything. It´s hard to pick the right words to say; you´re not even sure if such a thing exists. But staring at this demon, at how tall he held himself despite all of his regrets, makes you feel admiration for him. You just wish he´d understand he doesn´t has to be _everything_ at the same time. Whatever he can give is enough.

You fix your gaze on Lucifer as you extend your hand at him. His eyes slightly shift, curiosity in them as he awaits your next move. Finally, you speak softly. 

"Come here, Lucifer."

Your request catches him off guard, but he´s quick to frown at you. "I won´t kneel, if that´s what you´re expecting."

His defensiveness pains you, but you understand. "You don´t have to do that. Just come closer."

Lucifer hesitates, and a part of you wonders if deep inside he doesn´t wants to get close to the throne in the first place. Or maybe it´s just you and your weird request what he can´t decipher. 

"I told you. I can´t.", he says. 

But something tells you he does, so you wait, hand extended, for him to try. Your perseverance eventually makes the firstborn sigh and step forward. Lucifer stops where he understands the force field is and reaches out with his hand. The opposite of what he´s expecting happens, and his hand reaches further than he intends.

Your heart accelerates as Lucifer looks at his hand in surprise. His shocked eyes then look at you, so you give him a awkward smile and beckon him to come closer. 

"Please?"

The Avatar of Pride squints at you, but eventually resumes his walking towards you.

When he´s close enough, Lucifer interlocks his gloved fingers with yours. His hand takes over yours, and you feel small in his hold. But this doesn´t stops you from enjoying the moment he steps closer, leaning down until your faces are just a few inches away and his wings engulf you with their shade.

Your heart beats faster as that red gaze takes you in. "So... what´s so important that you needed me to get this close?" 

You remain mute for a few seconds.; having Lucifer so close makes you hesitate. Even if you know he won´t hurt you, the essence of his power emanating from him is impossible to ignore. 

But you gather your courage, and eventually whisper your next words.

"I don´t know who you´re trying to impress", you start, eyes still fixated on one another, "But you´re already pretty amazing. You don´t need anyone´s approval for that." 

Lucifer frowns at you, but says nothing. You take it as permission to finish what you´re trying to say.

"You are enough, Lucifer."

Lucifer´s gaze darkens, and you wonder if he thinks you´re showing him some kind of pity. "You think I don´t know this? I _am_ the Avatar of Pride, after all."

"Yes... but you are not perfect.", you state. Lucifer is not pleased with your words. It´s evident he cares about you, though, as he gives you one more chance before unleashing his anger. "Just what is your point, MC?" 

You swallow the lump you just realize you have in your throat. Ego and pride are easily hurt, and you wonder how much further Lucifer is going to let you go before he´s had enough.

But you have to finish saying what you want to say.

"Being perfect and being enough are not the same thing... And yet... You think you have to stay in control to keep your value and purpose. But... you don´t have to do things alone."

Lucifer narrows his eyes at you. "Is making sure you´re safe so selfish of me?"

"No, but... You´re not the only one who can keep me safe."

The firstborn´s frowning face is familiar to you, but there´s still an edge on Lucifer´s stare that makes you regret what you just said the moment he makes a move. His hands curl around your arms, holding them against the backrest. Although he´s not hurting you, the pressure he places is enough to keep your eyes fixated on his.

"I know that. Clearly it was proven once again today.", he says, and you know that´s as close as he´s going to get to agreeing with you.

That doesn´t means you´re not grateful, though. If anything, his incessant efforts to get you want you wanted, as crazy as that is, can´t be taken for granted. 

"That being said... I do appreciate everything you do for me, Lucifer. This included, so... Thank you, for everything.", you add, a shy smile spreading on your lips. "I just wish you´d rely on us more."

Lucifer´s eyes are still on you, though this time the edge in them softens at your words. You feel his grip on you soften as well, his thoughts wondering about other things as he lifts his right hand to cup your cheek. 

You welcome his touch and lean against his hand, closing your eyes. The atmosphere between you changes, and you enjoy this gentle Lucifer as your pulse relaxes.  
Lucifer sighs, and you feel his hand shift as he whispers your name. 

"Look at me.", he orders as his thumb moves to caress your lips. Your eyes immediately open, more because of his touch than because of his order. Regardless, he´s pleased by you obedience as he looks at your instantly flushed face. Your heartbeat quickly betrays you, and you almost find yourself breathless just by the way the Avatar of Pride is staring at you.

"Are you sure you want it?" Lucifer leans closer as he asks, your faces close enough to make you hold your breath. You´re not sure if he´s talking about immortality anymore, not when he stares at your lips like that.

Immortality or a kiss, it doesn´t matter. Your answer is the same anyway.

You barely nod, but it´s enough for Lucifer to pick up. You hear a single chuckle escape him, but you have no intentions on commenting on it. Instead you wait as the Avatar of Pride closes what´s left of the distance between your mouths.

You close your eyes on instinct, but your surroundings are already dark as Lucifer´s wings engulfs you both. It brings a sense of protectiveness from him, and the message that darkness doesn´t always has to be scary. It allows you the confidence to place your hands on each of his shoulders as you kiss, and Lucifer seems more than happy to feel your touch.

Your cheeks are already heating up by the time you pull away from each other. Still, you manage to open your eyes at the right moment to see Lucifer sigh contently as he opens his.

"... I was lonely without you around.", he whispers, his eyes still half closed. 

Your brain short-circuits at his confession, taken completely off guard by it. "Lucifer..."

Lucifer releases a throaty chuckle at your reaction. "We´ll have timer for this later." 

The demon finally straightens up, slowly dissipating the moment between you two. His tenderness remains, though, and you watch the Avatar of Pride extend his hand for you to take. "I know what I must do."

You take his hand and he gently lifts you up from the throne, but your curiosity is obvious enough that he answers your question before you can ask it.

"I have to apologize to my brothers, admit I was wrong in thinking I could do this alone." Lucifer explains as he walks with you, hand in hand, away from the throne.

You assume he´s had enough time to think it through. Being the last one you reached, he must´ve had a lot of idle time to know what would be asked of him.

"So you know you´re supposed to conquer your domain?"

Lucifer answers with a simple nod. "I did read the book, after all. I just wasn´t sure at first what I was supposed to do for you." 

Your attention is deviated from the conversation when Lucifer stops walking. He twists around to face you as he releases your hand, holding onto your forearm more properly then. Turning your palm upwards, he reveals the six symbols on your skin, the only empty circle the one that belongs to him. 

"Now that you have a deeper connection with my brothers, you can summon them at will." Lucifer explains. You widen your eyes in surprise, but worry quickly fills your head. "But I don´t have magic to summon demons like Solomon."

"You don´t need it. You´ll use their own energy to summon them instead."

You´re not so sure how that works, but Lucifer´s words remind you of the moment Satan was running out of magic to fight those beasts. Somehow you were able to give him some energy to use before fainting because of the strain. Is that what Lucifer was referring to? You could use the brother´s energy at your leisure now?

Lucifer explains what you need to do to summon them. You nod at his instructions and prepare yourself for what´s to come, even if the firstborn assures you it shouldn´t be painful.

When you feel ready, you place your left inner and middle fingers on top of Belphegor´s symbol and start your chanting.

"I call upon the seventh, the Avatar of Sloth. I summon you, Belphegor!"

The purple symbol of sloth shines on your skin, and you feel your skin tingle as some kind of energy flows through you. You silently gasp at the intensity of the sensation, but it lasts just a second. 

Then there´s black smoke in the air in front of you, a pulsating light and a burst of energy that startles you. The energy materializes in the blink of an eye, and by your next heartbeat the Avatar of Sloth appears a few feet from you.

Belphie looks surprised, and honestly so are you. That was so easy, too easy.

"MC? Lucifer? Wha-?"

"How are you feeling, Belphie?" Lucifer is quick to check on his brother, and the seventh-born takes a moment to inspect himself. "I´m fine... just confused."

"How about you, MC?" Lucifer then turns to you, so you nod in reassurance.

"You summoned me then.", Belphie says in realization as he looks at you, surprise still plastered on his expression.

Lucifer urges you to continue, so you place your fingers on Beel´s symbol. "I call upon the sixth, the Avatar of Gluttony. I summon you, Beelzebub!"

Just as when you summoned Belphie, you feel a pulse of power surge through your body before smoke and energy bring the Avatar of Gluttony to you.

Beel´s expression is strained when he appears, but Belphie is quick to hold his twin´s arm as soon as he can. "I´m here, Beel. I´m fine."

Beelzebub relaxes the moment he sees his younger brother, letting out a sigh of relief as he turns to surround him in a hug. Belphie doesn´t complains, but his eyes are back on you and your clear confused expression. 

"After you went through your portal, another portal opened for us. We´re all waiting together on a new dimension, that´s why Beel and the others go scared when you summoned me and I disappeared.", he explains. You nod at this, and then hurry to your next summon.

"I call upon the fifth, the Avatar of Lust. I summon you, Asmodeus!"

More energy pulses through you, and as Asmodeus appears, you hurry and summon Satan as well.

"--I summon you, Satan!"

Another pulse of power, smoke and energy.

"--Leviathan!"

Another demon appearing in front of you.

"--Mammon!"

You´re panting by the time the Avatar of Greed makes his appearance. Lucifer was right when he said it wouldn´t hurt, but the consecutive energy released from each symbol was enough to stun your body. You need to catch your breath, give a moment to your body to adjust to all that power flowing through you. Lucifer seems to understand as he places a hand on your shoulder and tells you to rest.

"What´s goin´ on?" Mammon is the first one to speak, his eyes scanning you to make sure you´re not hurt.

"I wasn´t expecting to be summoned like this, let alone by MC.", Satan comments, though it´s clear on his expression he´s more interested on your wellbeing than on how you did that. "Are you alright?"

The other brothers follow behind, asking you if you´re feeling okay, if there´s something they could do for you. Lucifer signals for them to stop with the palm of his hand.

"Calm down, everyone. I´ll explain everything." The firstborn announces, and to your relief the rest of the brothers quiet down, willing to listen.

Lucifer sighs and crosses his arms, and you read it as him raising up his defenses before speaking. He said he was going to apologize to his brothers, but he never said it was going to be easy. 

"I suppose you want to get out of here as much as I do, so I´ll be quick.", Lucifer begins, "I lied when I said I didn´t read the book before activating it."

"I knew it." Satan interrupts, annoyance quickly showing on his face. "You just couldn´t wait, could you?

Lucifer frowns at the Avatar of Wrath. "Let me finish." A warning.

While Satan glares, he continues. "What I didn´t expect was for the book to _activate_. The instructions stated the magic would only activate if the human in question was ready to take on the tasks to reach immortality."

Everyone turns to look at you, and there´s a shift on their expressions. It´s of surprise and of longing at this realization of your readiness, and you can´t help but blush.

Lucifer wins their attention once again when he resumes. "Another thing I didn´t expect was for all of you to come along with us. This was supposed to only be MC and me because..."

Lucifer pauses, probably because he knew the brothers weren´t going to take his next words well. "... Because it was my understanding I was the best qualified to aid MC. Not either of you, certainly not all of you at the same time." 

"Of _course_ you´d think that.", Belphegor is the first one to spit venom, his icy stare locked on the Avatar of Pride. "You always have to make the executive decision, don´t you Lucifer? You always know what´s best for us."

Satan is quick to second Belphie. "Of course he has to. If there´s something Lucifer does best, it´s looking down on us."

"Why would you do that?", Even Asmo looks hurt. "You know we wanted to help too!"

"That´s so not fair!", Levi comes next. "If it has to do with MC, I want to help out!" A flash of red crosses his face when he admits to it, but his eyes are full of determination.

"That´s right, Lucifer! What makes ya think ya can help MC on your own?! All of us wanna be part of this!", even Mammon is upset, glaring at his older brother. 

And Beelzebub, even if he didn´t say anything, it was all over his face how hurt he is.

Looking at all of them so offended and so willing was endearing, but you know this is not the moment to feel wholesome about it. If this keeps up, the argument would turn into a fight. You look at Lucifer, trying to decipher what he´ll do next. 

He´s patient enough to allow his brothers to vent. When they´re all done demanding an answer, Lucifer finally speaks.

"You´re all right... I´m sorry.", the Avatar of Pride says as he sighs and sags his shoulders.

"I´m sorry I underestimated you. I know of your power, I know what you can do. And yet... when the moment to ask for help comes... I just can´t help wanting to do it by myself."

"It´s because I think I´m the best who can do it, yes, but also..."

Lucifer pauses and you notice a light blush forming on his cheeks as he admits to his feelings. 

"Because I want to protect you... If something were to happen to any of you, I honestly wouldn´t know what to do..."

Now it´s the rest of the brothers´ moment to remain silent. They all stand there with eyes wide, going over the Avatar of Pride´s apology while Lucifer sighs. They honestly look like they don´t know what to do with themselves. It was clear Lucifer wasn´t one to apologize often, so it was awkward to cope with it.

Before the tension rises too much, Beelzebub makes the first move. He´s clearly worried about Lucifer, so he goes and hugs the Avatar of Pride before he can object to it. Lucifer doesn´t struggles, but it´s obvious Beelzebub´s bear hug is cutting some of his air.

"Beel, you´re crushing me...", Lucifer complains, even if he manages to hug Beel back. The Avatar of Gluttony doesn´t budges after a few more seconds, but eventually releases the oldest.

"You did it again, Lucifer.", Beel comments, still hurt because of his brother´s behavior. "You keep thinking you can´t rely on us. It hurts."

"I´m sorry, Beel..." Lucifer repeats softly, his eyes then turning to the rest of them. "To all of you, I mean it."

"Tsk, whatever...", Satan stares somewhere else, though there´s less edge on his words.

"We´re adults, doesn´t matter if we´re your little brothers. Is that so hard to remember?.", Belphie adds, his stare still on Lucifer. The Avatar of Pride sighs, but nods in understanding.

Among all the awkwardness, you watch the exchange with relief. You were afraid this was going to be harder, but apparently everything worked out in the end.

Prove of that, you feel that familiar warmth in your forearm and look down to watch the last empty circle being filled in blue. The light emanating from it catches all the brothers´ attention, so the eight of you watch as the symbol of Pride slowly appears on your skin. The adrenaline inside of you makes your heart accelerate, the anticipation of what will happen after the symbol is complete keeping you on your toes. 

Before you can celebrate your victory, the symbol stops forming. 

A skipped heartbeat later, the whole thing reverses and is gone.

You gasp in disbelief, your eyes fixated on the empty circle left behind. It´s like you´ve lost a part of yourself, and there´s a tightness in your chest that you can´t ignore when you look up at Lucifer. You´re met by his stunned expression, though no words exit his mouth. 

It´s like everyone has held their breaths, but Belphegor is the first one to break the silence and give Lucifer a killing glare.

"You... _LIAR!_ ", he yells as his demonic aura spills around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand sorry for leaving it in a cliffhanger! I naively thought I could finish the story in one more chapter, but this was getting too long and... yeah, lol.
> 
> I´ll do my best to finish the rest of it as soon as possible, since I start my medical internship in a few weeks. Stay safe, everyone!


End file.
